Andante, Allegro, Al Fine!
by Nanaki Lioness
Summary: [AU] SasuNaru. When Naruto buys a ticket to see 'The Battle of the Era', he's not expecting a battle between piano players. However, sticking around to see it pays off in the end... Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters, items, places etc of Naruto are property of Masashi Kishimoto. These objects are used without permission for entertainment only, not for making money. No infringement is intended.

_AU SasuNaru! That's the __**homosexual pairing of Sasuke and Naruto **__(at least, it will be).__ If you don't like, don't read and __**click the back button now!**_

_As often with me, here's a warning for __**occasional swearing**_.

**Andante, Allegro, Al Fine!**

By Nanaki Lioness

Naruto _hated_ the rain.

He'd seen it on the forecast before he had left home, frowning in disdain and grabbing his jacket, mentally cursing the fickle weather. He had decided against an umbrella- he knew he'd only leave it behind. He wasn't going to miss this evening because of a little bit of rain.

He'd had no idea a 'little' bit of rain would become a miniature storm, causing him to hurry across the road in front of him almost blindly to reach his destination. An auditorium that, tonight, would be hosting what the posters around town had declared would be the 'Battle of The Era'. There had been a bunch of Italian terms he didn't understand on the poster, but he assumed the duelists would be Italian or something of the like. He'd have to check his ticket later, when he could take it from his pocket without it being swiftly ripped from his hands by the callous winds.

He'd called to reserve his ticket swiftly, not wanting them to sell out of such an epic event, and was surprised to have landed a seat in the second row from the front. He fingered the dog-eared ticket in his pocket gently, checking for the fifth time since he had set out that he hadn't forgotten it.

The double doors were right ahead of him- at least, he assumed they were. He had to lower his head and cover it with his arms to defend himself from the merciless mix of wind and rain.

He jogged for them, hoping he was right, and that they would lead him to the warmth and dryness of the auditorium. He'd never been here before, and had had to plan his journey in advance and leave early to make sure he would find it in time.

The doors gave way under his push, and he practically fell through them, righting himself and catching his breath. His cheeks were flushed red and his fingers were numb, and he blew into his hands to warm them slightly.

"Good evening, Sir."

Naruto shook his head, shaking droplets of moisture out of his hair. He looked down at his knee-length khaki coat, brushing at it slightly, ignoring the man that had addressed him.

"Good _evening_, Sir," the man repeated.

"Huh?"

Naruto looked up at the man, not realizing he had been spoken to. The man was holding a program out to him, giving him a polite smile.

He looked the man addressing him up and down slowly, taking the program with a small nod of thanks and handing over his ticket.

"Is there a required dress code for tonight?" He asked nervously, well aware the man before him was wearing an expensive looking suit, and he was dressed in casual black cargo pants and an obnoxious orange t shirt.

"No, Sir," the man answered politely. "But if I may say so, you don't look the type to enjoy this evening."

"How come?" Naruto asked, grinning. "What's _not_ to enjoy about a fight?!" He took a lot around the auditorium he had entered, frowning slightly. "Though this looks like a pretty dressy place to hold a fight…"

The man thought for a moment, his face lighting up in realization when he thought closely about what Naruto had said.

"Well, Sir," he said, smiling slightly. "I think you're going to be in for a surprise."

-.-.-

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Everyone around him was dressed up- men in suits and women in beautiful dresses and even a few children in similar attire. All of them regarded him with a mixture of disdain and flat out disgust.

The seat was comfortable, at least. Red and velvety, and with plenty of leg room. All it needed was a cup holder like a cinema, Naruto had thought, but he doubted that would fit in with the décor.

_A surprise, he said…_

He looked at the program in his hand, squinting slightly when trying to read the Italian words on it. The man at the door had told him the title of tonight's show held the answer to his surprise, but he didn't understand them.

"Excuse me?" He asked the man sitting next to him. The man turned to him, giving him a look that screamed 'why are you speaking to me, I don't care what you have to say?' He was too polite to voice it, however.

"Yes?" He said expectantly.

"Could you tell me what these words mean?" Naruto asked, holding the program out. The man frowned at him, taking it.

"You don't _know_?" He asked, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto continued to look at him, confused.

"'Battle of the Era: Andante, Allegro, Al Fine!'" the man read out. "It means play slow, play fast, and to the end."

Naruto looked even more confused.

You don't know these terms?" The man asked, eyes widening slightly in surprise.

Naruto shook his head dumbly.

"Then what on earth are you doing here?"

"Well, it said a _battle_," Naruto said slowly.

"It _is_ a battle," the man replied, handing back the program. "A battle of pianists. Two of the greatest pianists this country has seen, playing against each other."

"Eh?" Naruto said dumbly, staring at the program and then at the man.

"You didn't think to inquire about the show's details?" The man asked.

"Well, no…"

The man shook his head in pity and turned away, ending the conversation.

Naruto slumped in his seat, looking thoroughly disappointed. He'd been looking forward to Italians fighting each other, and instead he was getting some piano players? He was tempted to leave, but remembering the howling storm outside, and the fact he'd paid a fair amount for his ticket kept him in his chair.

_I'm here now, I may as well stay..._

The lights began to dim slightly, and Naruto looked up at the stage. The red curtains began to open, bearing a stage that was empty of people, holding only a microphone on a stand and two concert grand pianos on opposite ends of the small stage.

A silver-haired man entered the stage from the left, walking to the center of the stage where the microphone stand was, waving as he did so. He was dressed in a black suit that fitted his lithe frame nicely, the lower half of his face covered with a black mask. Naruto supposed it was something to do with helping keep himself slightly shielded from the public, but with that untidy shock of silver hair, he was instantly recognizable anyway.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman!"

The auditorium hushed completely at the voice, a few murmuring words Naruto couldn't hear.

"Thank you for joining us tonight, everyone! I'm Hatake Kakashi, and it's a pleasure to be here. I won't keep you waiting with long introductions, so I'll get right down to business. I'm sure you all want to see my rival for tonight?"

A few people in the crowd cheered in appreciation, taking Naruto by surprise. He hadn't been expecting any kind of rise from the seemingly stuck-up audience.

"Alright, then. Here he is, please welcome him! Maito Gai!"

Naruto almost fell off of chair when the man in question- he presumed, at least- sprinted onto the stage. He was wearing a suit like Kakashi, but his was pinstriped grey and white, and the shirt he was wearing was a rather bright shade of green. He had black bowl-cut hair, a huge smile, and possibly was the most ridiculous-looking person Naruto had ever seen.

Gai screeched to a halt at the microphone, pushing Kakashi out the way and grabbing it with both hands.

"Good evening, everyone!" He yelled into the microphone, almost deafening Naruto. "Thank you for coming to watch our battle!"

Naruto stared at the two men on stage, trying to get his head around what he was seeing. All these well-dressed, high class people had come to watch a man in a mask and an eccentric weirdo?

"Good luck, Gai-sensei! You can win, Gai-sensei!"

Naruto turned his attention to a young man around his age in the front row ahead of him, who was on his feet, cheering and punching the air. He was the only person in the place who was dressed as casually as he was, wearing army combat pants and a green T-shirt. He had the same hairstyle as Gai, and had he not called the man on stage 'sensei', Naruto would have thought he was his son.

Gai flashed a smile down at the boy, grinning widely and giving the boy a thumbs-up.

"Of course, Lee! I will win this battle!"

"You're amazing, Gai sensei!"

Naruto looked between the man on the stage and the boy in the front line- Lee, as he had been called. He couldn't decide who disturbed him the most.

"Now now, Gai," Kakashi said, taking the microphone. "Let's see some action behind that big talk of yours."

Naruto didn't see what 'action' someone playing the piano could hold.

Gai smiled his huge, teeth-bearing smile and punched the air with a cheer, sprinting to one of the two pianos. Kakashi replaced the microphone, held a hand up to the audience, and walked to the second piano. Seating himself, he gestured across to Gai to begin.

"He's amazing," Naruto held a lady behind him say quietly. "He isn't going to read from a score."

"He never does," someone answered her. "He's called Copycat Kakashi for a reason. He mimics people by ear. I heard a rumour that he can't even read sheet music."

"But he has a pupil, doesn't he? How can he teach someone without being able to read sheet music?"

"He can read it," another person replied, joining the conversation. "But not quickly. He couldn't pick up a high graded piece and play it from the score without studying the notes first and writing them underneath."

"Really? Where did you hear that?"

The lady didn't get her answer, as they were interrupted by a slow, steady stream of notes from the stage.

"The battle has started!" Gai yelled, who was the one currently playing. "Keep up with me, Copycat Kakashi!"

A moment later, Kakashi was playing the same melody as Gai, a soft repeating pattern of simple-sounding notes. He looked bored- or as bored as someone with half their face covered could look, at least.

"Alright!" Gai near-screamed. "Keep up with me, Kakashi!"

He suddenly launched into a new piece of music, much faster than the other one. Within seconds, Kakashi was playing along with him, keeping a perfect harmony between the two of them.

Naruto found himself transfixed as the 'battle' continued. The idea was that Gai would play a piece of music, and then stop, and Kakashi would play the same piece of music again perfectly, from memory. Naruto couldn't fault the man- he didn't miss a single note. He had stayed in the hope the raging storm outside would pass, but he found himself _enjoying_ what was happening on the stage.

He was so caught up in what was happening, he didn't keep track of the time. So, when the two finished a piece and Gai wailed loudly, slamming the piano lid down and standing up, he was confused.

_It's over already?_

"Nice battle!" He yelled to Kakashi, giving him a thumbs-up and dropping to his knees.

"So you admit defeat?" Kakashi replied, standing up and walking across the stage to the microphone.

"I'll beat you next time!" Gai called from his spot on the floor, head lowered in what seemed like shame.

"There you have it, ladies and gentlemen," Kakashi spoke into the microphone. "Maito Gai admits defeat, so I suppose that makes me the winner."

Gai jumped to his feet, grabbing the microphone from his rival.

"Copycat Kakashi is a great man!" He yelled into the microphone. "He deserves this victory!"

The audience- more of it, this time- cheered at that. Naruto found himself cheering along with them.

Kakashi took the microphone back from him, sighing audibly. "Thank you for coming, ladies and gentlemen, and I hope we kept you entertained."

He bowed, Gai following suite quickly, leading to a few more cheers from the audience. Naruto jumped to his feet, punching the air. The man to his side gave him an odd glance.

"You enjoyed yourself in the end, then?" He asked. Naruto turned to him, beaming.

"Yeah, it was really different than I expected, they made it really fun."

"You don't play an instrument, I presume."

"Huh? No, I don't."

The man smiled wistfully. "Playing an instrument is more fun than you would believe, young man."

He stood, giving Naruto a small smile and gathering his things. Naruto reached under his chair and pulled his still-damp coat out, frowning at it. He'd hoped the almost unbearable heat would have dried it out, but it seemed it was too sodden for that.

He shook it out and put it on, shivering slightly. People around him were starting to leave, and he noticed the young boy from before, Lee, clambering up onto the stage.

"I thought you were fantastic, Gai-sensei!" He heard him call, running and hugging Gai tightly.

"That's because you're a wonderful pupil," Gai replied, hugging the boy back tightly. He let the boy go after a moment, turning to Kakashi.

"Speaking of pupils, where is yours tonight?"

"He's here," Kakashi replied. "Probably already out of the auditorium and in the bar."

Gai shook his head, sighing. "These formalities don't hold his attention very well, do they?"

"No. You know what he's like."

Naruto approached the stage slowly, curiosity getting the better of him. He caught the attention of Kakashi, who looked down at him.

"Hello," he called. "You can come closer, we won't bite."

Naruto grinned nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"I just wanted to say thank you," he said, his voice quiet.

"Speak up, I can't hear you."

"I said I wanted to thank you," he said, louder. "I came here expecting something completely different, but I enjoyed tonight."

Kakashi sat on the edge of the stage, indicating Naruto to jump up next to him and sit. Naruto did so, looking nervous.

"This is the first time you've been to one of our shows, then?" He asked.

Naruto nodded. "I didn't even know who you were. I thought I was coming to watch a real fight."

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, I appreciate that you stayed. Are you interested in music?"

Naruto frowned, thinking about that. "I wasn't really," he replied. "But I guess I am now, sorta."

"Are you interested in the piano?" Kakashi asked, standing up. "Here, come over."

He beckoned to the piano behind him, and Naruto stood, looking even more nervous.

"Kakashi, what are you up to?" Gai asked as Kakashi walked to the piano, beckoning to Naruto again.

"Finding my dear pupil something to do," Kakashi replied, indicating Naruto sit on the stall. "What's your name, young man?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Naruto. Touch the keys, play around a little bit. See how you like it."

Naruto looked at the instrument in front of him, feeling a little overwhelmed. There were so many keys in front of him, and he didn't know what to press.

He tentatively pressed one of the keys immediately in front of him, and jumped at the sound that echoed softly back.

"You can press the keys harder than that," Kakashi told him. "It won't break."

Naruto hit the key again, harder this time.

"Ah, you found middle C straight away!" Kakashi said, pride in his voice. Naruto looked at him blankly, the statement going straight over his head. "I'm impressed!"

Naruto stared at his hand and then the key he'd pressed. All he'd done was press one key- what was so impressive about that?

"Naruto, would you like to learn to play the piano?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto glanced up at him, eyes wide. "I-I have no idea what I'm doing," he answered. "I've never touched an instrument before in my life other than now."

"We all start somewhere," Kakashi replied. "You see, I have a little problem on my hands."

He indicated to Lee and Gai, who were talking together over by the other piano.

"That boy is Rock Lee, Gai's pupil. I have a pupil, too. We both decided to take an apprentice on, and both were exceptionally talented. Lee still has some learning to do, but I don't think he'll want to leave Gai-sensei even when he is fully taught. My pupil, however…" Kakashi sighed, shaking his head.

"What about him?" Naruto asked.

"Well, he's good. He's _very_ good. And he knows it. He's more than capable of leaving my teachings, and he's tried a couple of times, but he keeps coming back because he's bored. He's… Well, he's a little bit of a loner. He sees his piano as adequate company. And I think it's about time he spread his wings, so to speak, and took an apprentice of his own."

"So you think he should teach me?"

"What better to keep him occupied than a boy who's never touched a piano in his life?" Kakashi responded cheerfully, shrugging.

Naruto thought about it for a moment, before nodding slightly.

"Alright. Will he mind teaching me?"

Kakashi declined to answer, indicating to Gai across at the other piano. He was standing behind Lee, who was seated and playing an upbeat piece on the piano.

"Gai, I'm going to go and find my little prodigy," he called. "I have something for him to do."

Gai glanced between Kakashi and Naruto, before giving them a thumbs-up.

"Alright! I'll see you again soon, Kakashi!"

"Bye, Kakashi-sensei!" Lee called as well.

Kakashi jumped off of the stage, looking up at Naruto. "Come on, Naruto," he called. "Let's head to the bar. I'm willing to bet just about anything that that's where we'll find him."

-.-.-

_Author's Note: Coming up- Naruto's meeting with the little 'piano prodigy'. Guess who! ;)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Andante, Allegro, Al Fine!**

Chapter 2

Naruto silently followed Kakashi, feeling very awed. He hadn't expected people with his apparent fame to be so _nice_, but here he was, walking through the crowds of people, waving and nodding as they called to him. He even stopped to pose for a photograph with a younger child.

"Why do you wear a mask?" He found himself asking.

"Hmm?" Kakashi turned to him. "It's comfortable."

"That's all?"

"Of course. Why else would I wear it? You think I can conceal myself with this hair?"

Naruto flushed, not wanting to mention he'd thought the same thing earlier.

"Here," Kakashi said, indicating a solid oak door nearby. "This is the bar. You're over eighteen, right?"

"I'm nineteen," Naruto confirmed.

Kakashi smiled slightly. "You're the same age as him, too."

_Same age?_

Naruto was expecting Kakashi's 'prodigy' to be older than himself. That said, he realized, looking the tall man up and down, Kakashi himself didn't look even thirty.

As he entered the bar, he was assaulted by the smell of cigarettes and spirits. It almost knocked him backwards- he had never really been one to frequent bars before.

"Ah, I was correct," Kakashi said, pointing to a lone figure at a table in the corner. "He's here."

Naruto followed his gaze, eyes landing on the figure. His eyes widened, and he had to physically remind himself that gaping was going to be considered rude.

The boy Kakashi was walking over to was _nothing_ like Naruto expected him to be. He was thin and pale, with dark hair and even darker eyes. He was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, frowning at something clearly alcoholic on the table in front of him, and dressed in a suit like everybody else.

"Naruto," Kakashi called to him, forcing Naruto to re-direct his gaze to the older man. "Come over here."

He did as instructed, sitting nervously beside Kakashi opposite the raven haired boy.

"Naruto, this is Uchiha Sasuke," Kakashi introduced. "Sasuke, how would you feel about taking this boy as your apprentice?"

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, eyes narrowed and scrutinizing him. Naruto felt himself wanting to hide under the table to get away from those piercing eyes.

"What makes you think I want an apprentice?" He said eventually, his voice deeper than Naruto expected, and smooth as silk.

"You're bored, Sasuke," Kakashi replied with a shrug. "You keep coming back to me, but I don't have anything more to teach you. So why don't you pass your knowledge on and teach this boy what you know instead?"

Sasuke turned his dark eyes to Naruto again.

"What do you know?" He asked.

"Huh?" Naruto asked blankly. Sasuke rolled his eyes, picking up his drink and sipping it.

"What do you _know_? What experience do you have? Do you have any grades?"

"Grades?" Naruto was completely lost.

Sasuke sighed, putting his drink down. "You don't have any experience?"

"Uh… No. I've never played the piano before."

"How about other instruments?"

Naruto shook his head. Sasuke glanced over at Kakashi, an eyebrow raised.

"You want a challenge, Sasuke?" Kakashi replied to the unsaid question. "It'll give you something to do."

Sasuke drained his drink, putting the glass down with a soft thud. "I suppose."

"Great!" Kakashi said, standing up and indicating to Naruto to stand and let him out of the table. "I'll leave you to drink yourself into a stupor with company for once, then."

He waved at them both, leaving Naruto feeling very awkward indeed as he sat back down opposite the boy again.

"So… Hi," he said nervously, holding his hand out across the table. "Pleased to meet you."

Sasuke stared at his hand, and then at Naruto, causing the blond to retract it quickly.

"You'll need to come to my house to learn," he said instead. "Since you don't have a piano."

"R-right."

Sasuke pulled his mobile phone from his pocket, quickly typing a text in and looking up at Naruto. "You have a mobile number, I presume?" He said. Naruto stuttered and recited it from memory, feeling it vibrate in his pocket moments later.

"That's my address," Sasuke told him, standing up. "I'm going to get another drink, and you're going to run along and leave me alone."

Naruto glared at his retreating back, his nervousness turning to frustration. Kakashi, Gai and Lee had seemed pleasant enough, but this boy? Naruto wasn't so sure he liked him, yet.

He was still in thought when Sasuke sat opposite him again, another drink in hand.

"Didn't I tell you to leave?" He said sharply, sitting back down.

Naruto glared at him. "I don't want to stay in your company anyway, asshole."

Sasuke smirked at that. Naruto stood and glared at Sasuke once more for good measure, stalking out of the bar.

He pulled his mobile phone from his pocket as he did so, scowling at the text message containing the dark haired boy's address. He deleted it swiftly, pocketing his phone again. If learning to play the piano meant having to socialize with Sasuke, Naruto didn't want anything more to do with it.

-.-.-

"Wait wait wait wait wait!" Naruto cried, sprinting across the large train station towards where he could see his train, ready to leave within the minute. He tried to rummage through his pocket as he ran, unsuccessfully, to find his ticket. He slowed slightly, finding it and ripping it out, and starting to sprint again.

The ticket barrier in front of him stopped him, and he shoved the ticket into it, muttering 'come on, come on' under his breath and eyeing the train on the platform.

"Don't you dare leave!" He yelled at it, looking down at the ticket machine. He should have ejected his ticket almost instantly, but it hadn't. Frowning, he bashed his hand onto it for good measure.

The machine's small display screen lit up with a message for him- 'seek assistance'. Naruto growled at it as someone on the platform where his train was blew a whistle. Naruto looked up, hearing the telltale fast beeping that meant 'doors are closing' from the train.

"Wait!" He yelled to the station attendant, who didn't glance round or indicate he'd heard. "_Wait_!"

The train doors slid shut, and Naruto could hear the electric humming of it beginning to pull away from the station. Scowling at it, he bashed the machine that had eaten his ticket and stalked away to find someone to help him retrieve it.

He found someone nearby, marching over to them angrily.

"That machine ate my ticket and made me miss my train," he sulked, crossing his arms. The attendant sighed, walking to the ticket machine the blond had indicated.

"You forced it in too quickly," the attendant told him, using a key to open the machine and pull out Naruto's slightly crumpled ticket.

"I was in a hurry," Naruto replied, still sulking. "What time is the next train on this line?"

"An hour."

"An hour?!"

"It's late," the attendant explained. "After about seven pm, the trains drop to an hourly service in most directions."

Naruto took his ticket back, sulking and walking away without another word. An hour to kill at a train station that consisted of mostly food shops, and not much else. He scowled at the thought.

He found a bench that wasn't occupied, throwing himself down into it and crossing his arms. He pulled his mobile phone from his pocket, eyeing it wearily. He was beginning to regret deleting Sasuke's message, and his number with it. Kakashi had seemed so happy to have found an apprentice for his pupil, and Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to get hold of people with reputations like theirs easily.

He sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket. He couldn't un-do it now.

He glanced around the train station, not looking for anything in particular, but he almost fell off the bench when he noticed a figure walking vaguely in his direction.

Sasuke.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he approached. He hadn't appeared to have noticed the blond, and Naruto made sure to keep his mouth shut. Sasuke looked annoyed about something, and Naruto didn't want to incur his wrath for whatever reason.

He looked away, looking back when he felt someone watching him. Sasuke had spotted him, it seemed, and was watching him from the distance, standing completely still.

Naruto sighed, thinking of Kakashi's eagerness that he learn from the boy before him, and stood up. He closed the distance between them swiftly, pulling out his mobile phone. Sasuke didn't attempt to walk away- he just stood still and let the blond come to him.

"I, uh, managed to accidentally delete that message instead of saving it," he lied. "Could you send me your address again?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, pulling out his mobile phone and typing his address in again. "Number?" He asked sharply.

Naruto recited it again, and felt his phone vibrate in his hand as it received the message. He opened it and saved it, as well as adding Sasuke's phone number to his address book.

"Thanks, I guess."

Silence reigned between them, Naruto shifting awkwardly.

"It's a good thing I bumped into you again," he said conversationally. "I don't know how I would have got hold of you or Kakashi again otherwise."

"Very fortunate," Sasuke agreed blankly.

They stood in silence, Naruto feeling awkward and Sasuke looking at ease.

"So… Where are you traveling to?" Naruto asked, smiling slightly.

Sasuke didn't reply.

Naruto scowled at him angrily. "Why are you such an asshole?!" He snapped, finally losing his temper.

Sasuke stared at him impassively.

"Just because I'm not very talkative doesn't make me an asshole," he pointed out smoothly.

Naruto glared at him, unable to counter that.

"Do you even want to teach me?" He asked eventually. "Because you act like you'd rather I died and left you alone."

Sasuke shrugged.

"That isn't a response!" Naruto said, crossing his arms bitterly.

"I don't care," Sasuke replied. "I need something to do, Kakashi is right."

Naruto didn't reply, glancing up at the large station clock. Only ten minutes had passed, and he sighed at the thought of another fifty minutes stuck at the station.

"What time is your train?" He asked Sasuke. He'd feel slightly better and at-ease if Sasuke was leaving soon…

"Fifty minutes."

Naruto's eyes widened.

_The same train, maybe?_

"I'm heading to Shibuya," Sasuke said quietly, surprising Naruto.

"So am I," Naruto replied. "I missed the last train because the damn machine ate my ticket."

Silence again, but it was slightly more comfortable now.

"So when will you be free for your first lesson?" Sasuke asked after a moment.

"I'm free any time," Naruto replied.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. "You don't work or go to college or anything?" He asked slowly.

"No, I do some work for my guardian," Naruto replied. "He's a teacher, I help him out at the school sometimes, but he's pretty flexible with me. If I wanted to go to a lesson, he'd let me."

"You live with him?"

"Yeah. Inheritance was made available to me when I was eighteen, though, so I was able to finally pay him back for everything he's done for me."

"Inheritance?" Sasuke echoed, even though he knew what that would mean. His eyes widened slightly.

"It's okay, I'm used to people asking," Naruto continued, sensing the unease in the air. "My parents died when I was a baby. I have Iruka now- he was a friend of my parents. He took me in and took care of me after my parents died."

"That's kind of him," Sasuke replied quietly.

"How about you?" Naruto asked. "You live alone?"

Sasuke didn't reply. Naruto opened his mouth to ask again, but Sasuke spoke over him.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. "Let's get something to eat."

He walked past Naruto without waiting for an answer, leaving the blond to follow, a little dazed. Clearly family was something Sasuke wanted to avoid talking about.

"There isn't much to choose from," Naruto told him. "It's mostly fast food."

Sasuke stopped walking, his face clearly readable to say he didn't favour that idea.

"There's a bar in this train station," he said. "We could get a drink instead."

_We? So he wants my company now, huh?_

"I suppose."

Sasuke started walking away, Naruto following him again. It seemed Sasuke knew where this bar was. He thought back to Kakashi's comment earlier that day- 'drink yourself into a stupor but with company this time', wasn't it?

"You drink a lot?" He voiced out loud.

The scathing look he received made him wish he really, really hadn't asked that question.

"Take no notice of Kakashi," Sasuke responded after a moment. "He's a protective fool."

Naruto didn't dare ask for an elaboration.

"Up these stairs," Sasuke indicated ahead of them to the right. A narrow, metal staircase wound up the side of a building to a small bar at the top. Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought. He'd never noticed this before, though he supposed, that was partly the point to keep it out of the average person's line of sight. Groups of intoxicated people and railway lines didn't mix.

Sasuke was already making his way up the stairs, Naruto still following wordlessly. Of all the ways he had expected to end his evening, sitting in an obscure bar with a tight-lipped boy he didn't even know beyond his name was _not_ it.

Sasuke pushed open the small glass door, holding it open for Naruto to enter behind him. It was relatively empty, and the air was a lot fresher than the air in the bar he had entered earlier was.

"What do you drink?"

Naruto was too deep in thought to hear Sasuke speaking to him.

"Oi," Sasuke said, waving a hand in front of Naruto's face. "I _said_, what do you drink?"

"Oh," Naruto said, snapping his attention back. "Malibu and coke."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "That's an awfully girly drink."

Naruto glared at him, but refrained from complaining. He rather enjoyed his Malibu and coke, with _lots_ of ice.

"Lots of ice," he said of his thought.

Sasuke was already walking to the bar, holding a hand up to indicate he'd heard.

Naruto watched him go, sitting down at the closest table with a sigh. Sasuke was certainly a confusing person. One minute he was telling Naruto to leave him alone, and the next, he was buying him drinks?

He looked up as a glass filled mostly with ice filled the space he was staring at on the table, seeing Sasuke seat himself in front of him with a whisky on rocks in his hand.

"So why the sudden change of heart?" he asked.

Sasuke looked at him blankly. "I wasn't in a very good mood earlier."

No apology, but a partial explanation.

"Why not?"

_Why don't you think before you open your mouth, idiot?_

Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Or, don't answer that," Naruto hurriedly tacked on. "It's okay."

Sasuke took a sip of his drink, avoiding Naruto's gaze.

"I had a fight with my brother before I left," he answered quietly. "Nothing important."

_So he does have some family then._

"Does your brother play the piano too?" He asked, figuring it was a good question to ask that wasn't too personal.

"No. He resents that I do."

"Ah."

_Maybe not the best question after all, then._

Sasuke finished his drink in one swallow, the barely melted ice clinking tunelessly in the glass as he put it back on the table. He stood without a word, and Naruto didn't question it, watching him walk back to the bar. He narrowed his eyes, slightly concerned.

_What Kakashi said might have some weight, after all?_

Sasuke came back to the table with another whisky, setting it on the table and throwing the ice from his last glass into it as well.

"What's the point in a shot if you're going to water it down?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke indicated Naruto's ice-filled glass. "I don't think you can talk about 'watering down'."

Naruto shrugged. "It's not a shot. The coke'll be watered down, anyway."

They sat in silence for a while, Sasuke checking his wrist watch as he finished his second drink and Naruto finished his first.

"We have thirty minutes," he said slowly, Naruto picking up on the taint of alcohol in his words.

_How many did he have at the auditorium?_

They were interrupted by Sasuke's mobile phone ringing, Sasuke pulling it out of his pocket and frowning when he read the caller display.

"Yes, Nii-san," he answered it sharply. "What is it?"

Naruto wanted to not-listen to the conversation, but curiosity got the better of him, and he strained his ears slightly above the chatter of the bar.

"How about you fuck off? How does that sound?"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he kept his eyes averted when he heard the distinct 'snap' of Sasuke closing the flip top on his phone. It seemed there wasn't much of a conversation to eavesdrop on.

"We should leave," Sasuke said sharply, standing and indicating their glasses. "Take these back to the bar."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest that they still had a long time left until the train, but Sasuke was already walking away in the direction of the exit. He had looked… Disturbed? Upset? Naruto couldn't put his finger on it.

_I wonder what his brother said to him…_

Naruto collected the glasses and deposited them on the bar, wondering whether he should ask what the heck had just happened. He decided that he wouldn't, fearing Sasuke would attempt to kill him with that dark glare of his.


	3. Chapter 3

_Quick note: I apologise if some of the piano terms are going over anyone's heads. I'm trying to explain myself where necessary, but as a pianist myself, its all second nature. I get carried away and don't think to remember not everyone knows what I'm going on about XD_

_If I need to explain anything, just let me know, and I'll do so._

Chapter 3

"Now, Mr. Machine," Naruto said evenly, holding his ticket above it. "You're not going to try and munch my ticket again, are you?"

Sasuke sidestepped away from Naruto to the next machine along, sliding his ticket in and receiving it back no problem, the gate opening up for him.

"Sweet talking it won't make a difference," he declared flatly.

Naruto carefully pushed the ticket into the machine, smiling when it accepted it and opened the gate. He took the ticket back, walking through the gate.

"Apparently it did," he told Sasuke, poking his tongue out.

He had no idea why he felt so relaxed about the dark haired boy, now. Only an hour or so earlier, he had wanted to rip his throat out.

_Maybe it's the alcohol._

The train was sitting at the station, due to leave in five minutes time. They got on about halfway up, heading to the closest seats. Naruto instantly jumped into the window seat, grinning, Sasuke seating himself next to him with a roll of his eyes.

Sasuke's mobile phone ring-tone penetrated the air again, and Sasuke scowled, yanking it out of his pocket and answering it.

"Kakashi," he said. "What is it?"

Naruto stared out the window, pretending he wasn't listening again.

"A couple. Why does it matter?"

A pause, Kakashi obviously filling in the gap.

"Did he now? I'm sorry he bothered you, Kakashi, you should just hang up on him."

_Something to do with his brother?_

"I told you, a couple. What's that supposed to mean? I'm speaking clearly, what the hell are you talking about?"

Naruto's eyes widened slightly in realization. They were talking about Sasuke drinking.

"Look, Kakashi, don't make me hang up on you. I-what? Kakashi, you're my sensei, not my father. Don't give me that kind of attitude."

That 'snap' again of Sasuke hanging up on the caller. Naruto turned back round to see him turning the phone off and dropping it back in his pocket. He stared out the window again awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

"Do I sound sober to you?"

He turned, Sasuke looking at him expectantly awaiting an answer. He inwardly winced, not wanting to answer.

"Not _completely_," he answered truthfully.

Sasuke turned away, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, leaning his head back in the chair.

Naruto watched him, biting his lip slightly. He was so damn confused, and he knew asking for answers wouldn't bode well.

"If you're wondering," Sasuke spoke up, surprising Naruto. "Don't."

Naruto sighed heavily, resuming his bored watching of the platform outside the window.

-.-.-

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said quietly, shaking the sleeping boy next to him. "Shibuya is the next stop. Wake up."

Sasuke looked up at him, blinking slowly. He sat up quickly, looking slightly apologetic.

"I've not had much sleep lately," he said by way of explanation. "There's a recital coming up soon."

"A what?"

"A piano performance I'm giving."

"Oh? You are?" Naruto asked, genuinely interested.

"Yes. I'm playing the 1st movements of a couple of Beethoven's Sonatas, and I have to practice a lot."

Naruto's face lit up. "The Moonlight Sonata guy?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "_Everyone_ know the Moonlight, it seems. Yes, that guy. But I'm not playing that, I'm playing Waldstein and Appassionata."

Naruto gave him a blank look. Sasuke sighed.

"Never mind."

They stood as the train began to slow to a halt, signaling that they needed to get off.

"How are you getting home from the station?" Naruto asked as they stood by the electronic doors, waiting for the train to slow to a complete stop. "Do you live nearby?"

"I live the other side of town."

Naruto waited for a response to how he was getting home, and didn't receive one.

"Well, if you need a ride home, my car's parked at the station," he said as the train stopped completely. The buttons to the sides lit up with a message stating 'open', Naruto smacking it with his fist and stepping out onto the platform.

The rain had dulled right down to a light drizzle, but it was still windy. Sasuke stepped out behind Naruto, shivering slightly.

"You don't have a coat?" Naruto asked.

"If this suit's blazer counts," Sasuke replied, tugging on it. "Then yes."

"Come on," Naruto indicated to the stairs behind them that led off of the platform. "I'll give you a lift home. I'll need to learn where your house is anyway, right?"

Sasuke didn't protest, wrapping his arms around himself and silently following Naruto out of the station. He was walking slowly despite the bad weather, pulling his phone from his pocket and turning it back on, it seemed.

Naruto didn't question it.

The phone beeped to indicate a text message. Sasuke read it, scowled at the display, and looked as though he wanted to throw it to the floor and stamp on it. Instead, he switched it off again and got into the passenger door of Naruto's car.

Naruto still didn't question it, starting the car.

"So do you work, Sasuke?" He asked, needing to fill the silence as they drove with something, _anything_.

"No."

"So you live at home with your family?"

"With my brother."

"You guys moved out together? Excuse me for saying so, but you don't seem to get on too well."

"We live together, yes, but I wouldn't exactly call it 'moving in' together," Sasuke replied, gazing out the window and wrapping his arms around his body. Naruto switched the heaters on as he noticed.

"I see," he answered, but he didn't see. He was confused, as he had been most of the evening.

"So… How about a girlfriend?"

Sasuke laughed sharply. Naruto winced.

"Sore topic?" He ventured.

"I don't like girls."

Naruto didn't know whether to take that as the words of a man scorned, or literally. He also didn't dare ask for clarification.

They lapsed into silence again, Sasuke staring out the window and Naruto concentrating on the road.

"Is your brother angry about you going this evening or something?" Naruto eventually asked quietly, curiosity finally eating away his resolve to not ask questions.

Sasuke frowned, turning to look at Naruto.

"Why are you asking questions about what doesn't concern you?" He asked, an edge to his voice. "You're my pupil, I'm your sensei. That's it."

Naruto scowled, not taking his eyes off the road. It seemed Sasuke was reverting back into the foul mood he'd been in earlier in the evening.

"Alright, Sasuke-_sensei_."

Sasuke grimaced. "You don't need to call me that."

"What? You just made a point of saying I'm your pupil, so I'll address you correctly, Sasuke-_sensei_," Naruto snapped back, his voice slightly bitter.

"Don't be a prick," Sasuke replied simply, folding his arms and staring out the window.

Naruto pulled the car over at the side of the road with a screech.

"Listen," he said, turning towards Sasuke." I'm the one giving you a lift across town when it's stormy and you don't have a coat. I may only be your _pupil_, but I at least expect you to respect that."

Sasuke responded by unbuckling his belt and getting out the car silently, slamming the door shut behind him. Naruto wound down his window, sticking his head out.

"Oi!" He shouted. "Now who's the one being a prick?!"

Sasuke continued to walk, ignoring Naruto. Naruto growled, bringing his head back in and closing the window, holding down his car horn and flashing his headlights repeatedly.

Sasuke didn't stop or slow down.

Naruto let go of the horn, sighing heavily. He had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on.

-.-.-

The following morning, he awoke to his phone beeping loudly next to him to indicate a text message. Groaning and blinking to rid his eyes of sleep, he picked it up and opened the message.

'_I'm free today to begin teaching you.'_

He put the phone back on the table, yawning sleepily. He really didn't want to trek across town to that bastard's house and be told what to do. No, what he wanted to do was stay snuggled up under his nice, warm covers.

His door opened and Iruka breezed in, walking straight across the room and opening Naruto's curtains.

"Iruka!" Naruto wailed, covering his head with his pillow as sunlight assaulted him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's nearly eight am, Naruto," Iruka scolded lightly. "It's about time you got up. What time did you get home last night?"

"About midnight, I guess," Naruto responded, sitting up and yawning again.

"Did you have a good time?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but closed it, unsure of what to say.

"Well, it was certainly a very _different_ evening," he said eventually.

Iruka sat on the edge of the bed. "Well, come on, give me details!"

"You're just like a damn gossiping woman," Naruto replied, throwing his pillow at him. Iruka caught it deftly, throwing it back at him. "How about you make me breakfast and I'll tell you then?"

"Cheeky," Iruka remarked, standing up. "But alright. What do you fancy?"

"Pancakes?" Naruto asked, his face lighting up.

Iruka rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. "Alright."

Naruto's phone beeped at him again, and he picked it up, frowning.

'_Don't tell me you're still asleep, moron?'_

He growled slightly, throwing the phone back on the side again. Iruka raised an eyebrow at him.

"I want details of that, too," he admonished, winking at Naruto and leaving him to get up and dressed.

Naruto pulled himself out of bed, eyeing his phone as he dressed quickly. He didn't know whether to reply, or _how_ to reply. Yesterday, Sasuke had stalked off in a temper, ignoring Naruto, and now he was sending him messages telling him he was free to teach?

_Talk about giving off mixed signals._

He walked to his door, pulling it open and hesitating for a moment, his eyes falling on the neglected phone. Shaking his head, he walked back across to it, picked it up, and took it with him.

-.-.-

"So, go on," Iruka urged, putting a plate of pancakes down in front of Naruto. "I kept my end of the bargain, I made you pancakes."

Naruto picked up the maple syrup Iruka had put on the table before bringing over his breakfast, grinning. "Well, it wasn't Italians fighting each other, that's for sure."

"I did think that sounded rather strange. So what was it?"

"A piano battle," Naruto replied around a mouth full of pancake. "These two guys, you should have seen them, Iruka! There was one guy, he was really weird looking but he played the piano really well. And the other guy, his battle rival, was this really smooth guy who picked up everything the other guy played just by listening to it!"

"Ah, Copycat Kakashi and Gai?" Iruka asked. Naruto stared at him, eyes wide.

"You've heard of them?!"

"Of course," Iruka said with a shrug. "They're pretty famous. If I'd have know that's what your ticket was for I may have stolen it from you. I've heard a lot of good things about them."

"I spoke to Kakashi after the show," Naruto continued, taking another bite of his pancakes. "He was really nice, and he told me his pupil was getting bored and could probably do with teaching someone to play the piano."

He grinned widely, Iruka looking confused for a moment.

"He asked you?" He said after a moment.

"Yup!" Naruto replied, finishing his breakfast with a satisfied sigh.

"Well, Naruto!" Iruka said proudly. "What an opportunity for you! I had no idea you were interested in playing the piano, though."

Naruto shrugged. "I didn't really, but seeing those guys play… I guess it inspired me."

"So, did you get to meet his pupil?" Iruka asked, taking a sip of his orange juice.

Naruto scowled. "Yes."

"I take it you didn't get along very well?"

"I don't know," Naruto said, lying across the table, frustrated. "First he was an asshole and told me to leave him alone, so I did. Then I bumped into him at the train station and he was alright with me and even bought me a drink. Then we got the train back together, I offered him a lift, and apparently somehow massively offended him and he got out the car and stormed off." He picked up his mobile from the table in front of him, glaring at it. "And then he has the nerve to send me a message this morning telling me he's free to teach me today. He thinks I _want_ to see him?"

He dropped his mobile again, still scowling.

"Naruto," Iruka said. "Did you ever think he was just having a bad day? Everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

Naruto continued to glare at his phone.

"I think he's got some kind of drinking problem," he added. "His brother and Kakashi both called him and he got angry and hung up on both of them. I don't know what his brother said, but Kakashi was definitely saying something about him drinking."

"Well," Iruka said, standing and gathering their plates together. "Even if he does, if he's a pupil of Kakashi's, I'm sure he can play the piano. And that should be all you concern yourself with."

"That doesn't change the fact he's a prick," Naruto muttered.

The phone in front of him beeped again, and he snatched it up to read it.

'_Get the fuck up and message me back, I don't want to sit around all day waiting for you to reply'._

"See?" Naruto lamented, holding his phone up to display the text to Iruka. Iruka, who was washing up, didn't turn around to see it. "He's even insulting me now."

"Naruto," Iruka said, turning round and smiling softly at him. "I still think you should go. Just once, at least."

Naruto sighed, looking at his phone. "I guess you're right. As _usual_."

"Of course," Iruka said, winking and turning back to the washing up. "I'm your Iruka-Dad, right?"

Naruto smiled at that, typing in a reply affirming he was, indeed, awake and what time should be arriving?

The reply came swiftly, telling him 'as soon as you're ready, there's no point putting it off'.

"You're going then, Naruto?" Iruka asked as the blond stood from the table, grabbing his car keys from a hook behind the door.

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "I suppose the bastard deserves a second chance."

Iruka smiled, finishing the washing up and drying his hands with a tea towel. "Will you be home for dinner?" He asked.

"Eh? Of course, it's only a piano lesson. I should be home for _lunch_, let alone dinner!"

-.-.-

Naruto pulled up outside Sasuke's house, swallowing his nerves. _Why_ he was nervous, he had no idea. And he really wasn't sure if this was actually the right place- it was a lot _bigger_ than he had expected. He'd been expecting a small flat or house in the city, but it was a large house on the city suburbs.

He got out of the car and locked it, opening the small, black gate. It creaked slightly, and he closed it shut behind him. The path to the front door was small, and he walked it swiftly, reaching the glass front door and searching for a door bell.

The door opened, and Sasuke stood before him. He was dressed in a black shirt and black fitted trousers, stepping to one side without a word and indicating Naruto enter.

"I had a bit of trouble finding the place," Naruto said, taking his shoes off. "I wasn't expecting you live out of the city, for some reason."

Sasuke didn't reply, waiting for Naruto to finish taking his shoes off.

"I'd ask how you got home last night, but you'd probably throw me out," he said good naturedly, forcing himself to smile past his nervousness.

Surprisingly, Sasuke didn't snap at him, or even glare at him. He just smiled, very slightly.

"I walked," he shrugged, turning and indicating for Naruto to follow.

Naruto didn't comment further, walking into what he assumed was the living room. At the edge of the reasonably large room sat a white mini-grand piano.

"That's what I'll be learning on?" He asked as Sasuke walked over to it, pulling the top up to display the ivory keys beneath it.

"Yes," Sasuke replied. "Come."

Naruto walked over to him tentatively, sitting on the small white stool in front of the piano.

"Kakashi should be by shortly. He's bringing some beginner books with him."

"Why don't you show me what you can do whilst we wait?" Naruto suggested, standing up.

Sasuke hesistated for a moment before taking a seat on the stool, opening the sheet music already sitting on the piano's holder.

"I suppose I could take it as practice for the recital," he replied, before beginning to play.

Naruto had to remind himself to pick his jaw up from the floor. Sasuke was certainly a frustrating, stuck-up asshole, but he could _play_.

They were both so engrossed they didn't hear the doorbell ring, only realizing Kakashi had arrived when he appeared in the living room doorway, standing next to a man Naruto _knew_ had to be Sasuke's brother- tall with long, black hair that was tied back, and eyes as dark as Sasuke's.

"Sasuke," his brother called.

"Yo," Kakashi said cheerfully, holding a hand up.

Sasuke stopped playing immediately, turning around.

"Itachi," he replied curtly. "Kakashi."

"Next time, let your sensei in yourself. It's only polite."

Itachi walked away, not even giving Naruto a second glance.

"Please excuse my brother," Sasuke said quietly as Kakashi walked into the room, throwing himself onto the sofa and started going through a stack of books he'd brought with him. "He's not the most patient of people."

Naruto shrugged indifferently.

"Ah, here we go," Kakashi said, holding up a book. "The best beginner book I have. Let's see how you get on, shall we?"

He walked over to the piano, Sasuke standing up and stepping back to allow Naruto to sit. Kakashi put the book down in front of him, opening it up to page one.

"I'm going to sit back and see how my dear student chooses to teach you," he said, stepping away and taking a seat behind them back on the sofa.

Naruto glanced up at Sasuke nervously. The book before him meant _nothing_.

"Here," Sasuke said, pointing to the first page. "It's a small saying to help you remember the order of the keys. Just worry about your right hand for now."

"I don't see how I'm supposed to put both hands together," Naruto whined.

"You'll learn," Sasuke replied. "Now, look here. See this? 'Every green bus drives fast'. That's how you remember the order of the white keys."

Naruto stared at the page blankly. "I don't get it."

Sasuke crossed his arms, sighing. "Then you're a moron."

"Hey!"

Kakashi shook his head, standing up. "No, no, Sasuke. That isn't going to help him!"

"I said I knew nothing about the piano," Naruto whined again.

"It's alright," Kakashi reassured him, putting a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Sasuke's just temperamental."

"I am not," Sasuke retorted sulkily.

"Then teach the boy properly!"

Sasuke glared at the silver haired man, who walked away and sat back on the sofa.

"Like this," he said, leaning over Naruto and taking his hand, placing it over the E key in the middle octave. "This is E, for the 'every' in the rhyme. Then the white key next to it, then one, on the right is G, for 'green'. Then skip one again and that's B… See how this is working?"

"Ah, I see," Naruto replied, pressing each key as he repeated the correct section of the saying to match.

"Alright. See the keys you missed? Those are 'Face'. F, A, C, E- yes, that's it, you've got it. Now, turn the page."

Naruto did so. "See those notes? They match up with the rhymes."

"I see, I see," Naruto said, pointing to the notes. "_That_ one on the bottom line is E, and _that_ one on the top line is F?"

Sasuke blinked. "Yes. That's right."

"And those funny looking marks next to _those_ keys," Naruto pointed. "Are the black keys?"

"Yes. Sharps and flats. I'll come to those later, Naruto. Turn the page again."

Naruto did so, and a short piece of music sat in front of him, only a couple of lines long. "Now, you take what I've told you, and you read and play that simple little set of notes."

"Sasuke," Kakashi said warningly. "He might not be able to-"

He stopped, trailing off as he listened to Naruto… Who was playing the small piece perfectly, with no interference from Sasuke?

Sasuke glanced at Naruto suspiciously. "Are you _sure_ you've never played the piano before?" He asked as Naruto finished.

"I haven't," Naruto told him. "That was just easy. Skip forward a couple of pages!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Sasuke warned. "Go to the next page."

Kakashi sat back, watching the two interact, smiling to himself. The way Naruto interacted with the piano, and the way Sasuke interacted with _him_. He was quite proud of himself. The young boy had been quite a nice find for Sasuke.

He watched the way Sasuke leaned over Naruto, the way he kept creeping closer to him and catching himself and backing off…

Yes. Quite a nice find for Sasuke, indeed.

_Author's Note: Sorry if you think things a little slow- I'm having a lot of fun with this plot-wise, and as much as I want them to jump each other, I don't want to speed things up TOO much! ;) They'll get there, that's for sure :D _


	4. Chapter 4

**Andante, Allegro, Al Fine!**

Chapter 4

A few hours later, the three were sitting around the circle table in Sasuke's kitchen, Sasuke preparing them all sandwiches. Kakashi was flicking through his stack of books again, eagerly trying to pick out something a little more challenging for Naruto to play. He'd breezed through the first book easily.

"I should call Iruka," Naruto called to Sasuke, who turned around, a butter knife in his hand.

"Your guardian?" He asked.

Yeah," Naruto replied, standing up and pulling his phone from his pocket. He dialed a number quickly, stepping out into the hallway.

Kakashi chuckled evilly when he was out of hearing shot, earning a weary glance from Sasuke.

"You fancy him."

Sasuke blushed, eyes widening slightly.

"I do not," he hissed back. "And keep your voice down."

"You _fancy_ him," Kakashi emphasized again.

Sasuke turned round with the plate of sandwiches, putting it in the center of the table and sitting in his seat.

"You don't think he's attractive?" Kakashi pushed. Sasuke continued to glare at him.

"That's the same thing but worded differently," he answered quietly.

"You're _obvious_," Kakashi pointed out. "Does he know you're gay?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"He either does or he doesn't, Sasuke."

"Sort of."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that. "_Sort_ of?"

"He asked if I had a girlfriend last night, and I said I didn't like girls. I don't know if he took it literally, or whether he thought I was just bitter about them or something."

"Does _he_ have a girlfriend?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, then closed it, unable to answer.

"You don't know?"

"Who'd date an idiot like that?" Sasuke muttered, picking up a sandwich as Naruto re-entered the room.

"Is everything alright with him?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, I told him I was going to finish eating and come back," Naruto replied, sitting back down at the table and grabbing a sandwich. "Thanks, Sasuke."

Sasuke glared at him in response, still sulking over what Kakashi had said.

"Where's your charming brother?" Kakashi asked the dark haired boy.

"Like I know," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "Or even _care_."

"Now, now. There's no need to talk about him like that, Sasuke."

"Kakashi, you know my opinion concerning Itachi."

"Yes," Kakashi said, sitting back in his chair. "You're angry because he doesn't acknowledge your talent."

Sasuke glanced sharply at Kakashi. "Be quiet."

Naruto looked between them nervously, unsure of what to say or do. He picked up another triangle sandwich, sensing silence was the best option.

"Say, Naruto," Kakashi said, turning to the blond. "I hope you don't have a girlfriend."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, and he kicked Kakashi sharply under the table.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking confused. "I don't. How come?"

Kakashi winked. "Because from now on, you're going to be forming a very special relationship with a piano."

Sasuke continued to glare at Kakashi, and kicked him again for good measure.

Naruto finished his sandwich, grinning and standing up. "Well, I've been here all morning- I don't want to intrude any longer. Thanks for teaching me, Sasuke."

Sasuke shrugged, standing up and picking up the now-empty sandwich plate as he did so. "I should practice more for the recital," he replied. "But, you're doing well. You're a fast learner."

Naruto beamed at him and Kakashi, giving them a short wave. "I'll see myself out. See you later. Just text me whenever you want to set up the next lesson."

With that, he made his way out, leaving Sasuke to turn around and wash the plate up.

"He's a natural," Kakashi commented. "I wonder whether we can get him playing a recital reasonably soon."

Sasuke finished washing the plate up, putting it on the draining board and turning to Kakashi. "Perhaps some Grade 3 or so pieces inside a few months, if he continues to keep up the good pace."

"How is your practice coming along?" Kakashi asked as they made their way back to the living room. "I'm here now, we may as well use the time. Your performance to Naruto when I first arrived sounded much more… Full of life than it usually does."

Sasuke took a seat on the piano stool, picking up the sheet music in front of him and ignoring Kakashi.

"That's your one weakness," Kakashi continued. "_Passion_. You lack passion when you play. I'm concerned about your recital because of it."

"Its fine," Sasuke protested, setting the music down in front of him and cutting off whatever Kakashi was going to say in response by beginning to play.

"No," Kakashi said after about thirty seconds, standing up and walking to Sasuke's side. "_No_. That's the flattest piece of playing I've ever heard from you. You can't perform that next week- you'll discredit yourself and make a laughing stock of me. This is your _first_ public performance, Sasuke. It's important you get that first impression right."

Sasuke slammed the lid on the piano down, standing up and taking a step to the door. Kakashi grabbed his shoulder, keeping him in place.

"Sasuke," he said warningly. "You've been worrying me lately. Your playing is lifeless, and _so are you_."

Sasuke stiffened under his grasp, but didn't try to pull away.

"The main reason I asked you to teach Naruto was because of his _attitude_. When he came up to thank us, he was radiating the one thing you need- _happiness_. And I know you threw yourself into learning the piano after your parents died instead of dealing with it, and I know that's why you're as good as you are. And I also know that's why you need Naruto."

"I don't need him," Sasuke snapped, shaking Kakashi's hand free.

"Yes, you do. You need something to keep you occupied so you don't think about it, and Naruto fits the bill perfectly. There's a _really_ good reason I scheduled your recital for the anniversary of your parents death. And I warn you now, if you dare come to it drunk, I'll-"

"I won't," Sasuke interrupted the threat. "Regardless of what you seem to think, I don't spend all my time drinking."

"Only times when you've had a fight with Itachi, I know."

Sasuke didn't reply, crossing his arms and looking away.

"And there's a high chance of that happening on the day of the recital, given he doesn't have the highest opinion of your hobby. Now, instead of running off whenever I give you criticism, how about you sit down and _work_ on it?"

-.-.-

'_Are you free for tomorrow?'_

Naruto stared at the text message in front of him, eyes narrowed slightly. He'd been lying in bed, beginning to drift off, when the phone next to him had beeped loudly and startled him out of his semi-slumber.

Sasuke wanted to give him another lesson the next day. Naruto had been under the impression it would be a once per week kind of thing, not every day. Not that he _minded_ so much- the man had been reasonably pleasant to him at the lesson.

He began to reply, a simple 'so soon?', before deleting it and thinking again. He didn't know how to answer. He _wanted_ to see Sasuke again, but that was exactly it- he wanted to see Sasuke for the sake of seeing him, not taking a lesson from him.

He also had absolutely no reason why he felt so strongly about seeing him again.

Shrugging it off, he decided he'd ask Sasuke a question he'd been thinking over instead, and ignore what the boy had asked.

'_If I were interested in buying a piano, where would I look?'_

He stared at his phone, knowing a response would be fast. Sasuke didn't disappoint, Naruto's phone beeping less than thirty second later.

'_Is there something wrong with my piano, then?'_

Naruto scowled. That wasn't what he had meant at all.

'_I was just wondering. I might want to get one if things continue to go well, so I don't have to impose on you all the time.'_

'_Do you want to come tomorrow or not?'_

Naruto sighed, staring up at the ceiling and putting the phone on the bedside table next to him. He didn't _know_.

Eventually, he picked the phone back up, slowly typing a reply he wasn't sure he wanted to give.

'_I'm helping Iruka tomorrow. Sorry.'_

Sighing heavily, he put the phone back on the side and turned over, telling himself to go to sleep. His ears were on alert for the beep of a reply, half of him wanting one, and half of him not.

But it never came.

-.-.-

"Wake up, Naruto!"

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times before covering his face with his arms and Iruka yanked his curtains open swiftly, bathing the room in sunlight.

As his mind registered it was awake, he turned to the bedside table and picked up his phone. No new messages.

He put it down, disappointed, sighing heavily and bringing the cover up around his shoulders.

"Naruto?" Iruka called, turning round. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," came the reply. Iruka frowned. Naruto didn't sound right.

"What's wrong? He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Naruto pulled the cover around his shoulders tighter.

"Hey, you can talk to me, you know that, Naruto. Curling up in bed isn't going to make whatever it is better, I can assure you that."

"It might," Naruto replied sulkily.

Iruka grabbed the covers and pulled them down, causing Naruto to yelp and sit up rapidly.

"It's cold!" He whined, grabbing the covers back from Iruka and scowling at him.

Iruka gave him a questioning look.

"It's nothing," Naruto replied with a small sigh.

"It doesn't look like nothing. Why don't you tell me over breakfast? I'll make pancakes again."

"I'm not hungry," Naruto replied, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Now I _know_ something's wrong," Iruka replied, narrowing his eyes. "You're _always_ hungry for pancakes."

Naruto sighed again. "Sasuke sent me a message last night asking me if I wanted another lesson today and I lied and told him I was working with you."

"Why?" Iruka asked.

"I don't _know_."

"I thought you said everything went well yesterday. Are you bored of it already?"

"No," Naruto shook his head. "Not at all, I'm enjoying it. That's why I don't know why I'm trying to avoid going back again."

"Are you trying to avoid Sasuke himself?"

"No, it's not that- he's a bit harsh sometimes, but he's alright really."

"Maybe it's all going a bit fast for you," Iruka replied. "Take it slow and see how you go. You don't want to burn yourself out on it, hmm?" He pulled Naruto's covers away again. "Now come on, get up."

"Hey!"

"You can actually come to the school if you'd like," Iruka said, standing up. "That way you won't have been lying."

"I guess," Naruto replied, swinging his legs off of the edge of the bed. "I'll send him a message and tell him maybe tomorrow."

He dressed quickly, picking up his phone and sending Sasuke a short message to ask if he was free tomorrow, before joining Iruka in the kitchen for breakfast.

He'd barely sat down when he'd received a reply. Iruka looked up from pouring them both orange juice, a question in his eyes.

"Tomorrow," Naruto answered, putting the phone back in his pocket. "I'm going back tomorrow." He picked up his orange juice, swirling it around in the glass. "So what am I going to be doing today with the kids?"

"Well, maybe you could play the piano to them?" Iruka replied with a wink.

Naruto shook his head quickly. "Nah, I'm only working on scales right now, and stupid small pieces about ten seconds long. That wouldn't be entertaining."

"Well, I'm afraid it'll be telling them stories in Kiddie Corner again, then."

Naruto put his glass down, giving Iruka puppy dog eyes. "Can't I do art with them again? That's way more fun."

"The kids like it when you read to them, Naruto," Iruka sighed.

Naruto continued to look at him imploring.

"At least read them _one_ story," he agreed, shaking his head at his own softness. "And then maybe I'll get the paints out."

"Alright!"

-.-.-

Naruto thought Kiddie Corner was a pretty awesome place, despite his apprehension to reading books that morning. It was a small, carpeted section in the corner of Iruka's classroom, with a huge orange beanbag in the middle and a few shelves of children's books. On the walls were finger paintings done by the children, backed on coloured paper.

He was currently sitting on the beanbag, reading through The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It was one of the children's favourites, and though Naruto would never admit it, he enjoyed reading through it too. He had vague recollections of being read it by Iruka as a young child himself, and it always made him nostalgic and happy.

He looked up as he heard Iruka call his name, and saw the children all getting up and running over to him.

"Naruto!" He heard one of the kids calling, grinning as he sprinted across the classroom and dived into Naruto's lap, knocking the book out of his hand. He attached himself to Naruto's waist, hugging him tightly.

"Hi, Konohamaru," he said, putting his hand on the boy's head. "Be a good boy and pick my book back up, won't you?"

Konohamaru scrambled off of Naruto's lap, grabbing the book where it fallen and holding it out to Naruto. The rest of the children began to form a semi-circle on the floor, cross-legged and eager for their story, Naruto taking the book and indicating Konohamaru do the same.

"But I want to sit in your lap!" The boy protested, to which Naruto shook his head.

"Sit with the others, Konohamaru," he instructed. "It's not fair to always let you sit in my lap."

Naruto opened the book up, clearing his throat as the sulking boy joined his classmates on the floor. "You guys like A Very Hungry Caterpillar, don't you?" He asked, winking at Iruka, who was seating himself on the floor behind the children.

"Yeah!" The children all cheered in response. Naruto chuckled.

"Alright then, that's good!"

He opened the book to the first page, holding it up and showing the pictures to the children, looking sideways at the page to read it out. "In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf…"

-.-.-

With the story complete, and the children heading back to their seats, Naruto smiled in satisfaction. There was something very rewarding about making children smile.

"Iruka," he called to the man, who was heading back to his desk. "Get the paints? They can draw hungry caterpillars or butterflies, right?"

Iruka smiled, rolling his eyes. Naruto pushed himself up out of the beanbag as Iruka turned to address the class.

"How would you like to do some art with Naruto?" He asked. A chorus of cheers went up around the class. "Konohamaru, go and get the paintbrushes from the art cupboard and hand them out. Udon, get the water containers and do the same." He turned back to Naruto, who was walking towards him. "Go and hand out some paper and the paints, Naruto. I'll mark some of their work from yesterday, if you can keep them entertained."

Naruto gave him a nod of affirmative, practically sprinting to the art cupboard and pulling out a stack of creamy paper. He quickly handed out a sheet to each child, and called to them to get their attention.

"Alright, I want you to draw something from the book I just read you," he said to them all. "A butterfly or a hungry caterpillar with lots of food- anything you like! I'm going to hand out the paints, now."

The children all chattered excitedly amongst themselves as Naruto busied himself making up the powder paints from the art cupboard, handing out small amounts to each table in palettes. If he wasn't careful, and gave them too much paint, they'd end up painting the table and probably each other.

"If you run out, I'll give you some more, as long as you're not wasting it," he warned them all. "Go ahead and get started, kids."

"Naruto!" He heard from across the other side of the classroom, Konohamaru waving at him. He smiled and made his way over, kneeling on the floor next to the child.

"Yes?"

"Can we have some more paint?" He asked, giving Naruto a cheeky grin.

Naruto shook his head at him.

"You guys have got enough," he replied, pointing to the reasonably-laden palette in the middle of the table.

Konohamaru dipped his finger into the blue paint, turning round and painting Naruto's cheek with it, laughing.

"Hey!" Naruto protested good-naturedly, holding a hand to his face. "You can't just do one side, I'll look silly!"

He turned round and let Konohamaru paint a line across his other cheek too, grinning. Iruka would probably tell him he was too lenient with the children, but Naruto always disagreed- childhood was about having fun, after all.

"Now, come on," Naruto said, tapping the paper in front of Konohamaru. "Paint me a big fat caterpillar, young man."

Konohamaru dipped his paintbrush into the green paint, sloshing it across the page in the vague shape of a caterpillar, grinning widely.

"Iruka-san?"

Naruto looked up at the doorway, seeing a member of reception standing there. Iruka stood, walking to the door to greet them and take whatever message they had for him. He turned back to Konohamaru, who was painting strawberries next to his caterpillar.

"Those are big strawberries," he commented.

Konohamaru beamed at him. "He's a hungry caterpillar, they have to be big!"

Naruto chuckled at that.

"Naruto." He turned to see Iruka walking over to him, a smile on his face… And two people following him. "You have some visitors."

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes.

"Nice face-paint," Sasuke commented of the blue paint on Naruto's face. Kakashi stood behind him, waving.

"What are you guys doing here?" Naruto asked, getting up off the floor and brushing his knees down. "And how did you find out which school were we at?"

Sasuke pointed a thumb over his shoulder to Kakashi, who was being distracted by Iruka excitedly telling him what a legend he was.

"I think he called around. There aren't too many people named Uzumaki Naruto whose guardian is named Iruka in this area, I'm sure."

"Naruto, who is he?" Konohamaru asked, looking at Sasuke expectantly.

Naruto smiled down at him. "This is my friend. His name is Sasuke- be nice to him, won't you?"

He turned upon hearing a clanging sound, a splash and a small yelp from a girl a couple of tables down.

"Moegi-chan, did you knock your water over?" He asked, leaving Sasuke where he was and heading to the now-crying girl.

"I r-ruined my c-caterpillar," she sobbed loudly, the contents of her water pot across the table and dripping into the carpeted floor.

Sasuke crossed his arms, a small smile on his face as he watched Naruto calm the girl down, clean the table up, and fetch her some new paper.

He felt someone pulling on the bottom of his shirt, and looked down to see Konohamaru tugging at it.

"How come you came to see Naruto in school?" He asked, his big eyes wide in question.

"I have a surprise for him," Sasuke answered. The boy's eyes widened further.

"A surprise? Can you tell me what?!"

Sasuke shook his head. "You'll find out soon enough."

Naruto rejoined Sasuke, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "So what are you doing here?" He asked again.

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Kakashi had an idea, and dragged me along with him."

"An idea?"

"You'll find out."

Naruto tried to protest, but Sasuke was already walking away back to Kakashi and Iruka, the latter man turning round and beckoning to Naruto to come over.

"It's break time in ten minutes," he told Naruto. "When we get back, we're going to get permission to use the school hall."

"What for?" Naruto asked blankly.

"The piano," Kakashi filled in. "Sasuke's going to perform to the children."

Naruto stared at Sasuke, who was looking away, apparently sulking about something. He couldn't see him as the type to play to children, but it seemed he hadn't had a choice in the matter.

"He has his first recital next week," Kakashi continued. "And it'll be his first public performance. When he told me you were working at a school today, I couldn't resist the opportunity to give him some training and have him come perform to them."

"It's hardly a 'performance' to children," Sasuke replied sharply. "I could play Chopsticks and they'd still be impressed."

"Regardless, thank you both very much for thinking of such a lovely idea," Iruka cut in quickly. "It will be nice to have a music lesson of sorts, they only get to have one every couple of weeks right now. Music teachers are quite rare in the area, and we only have one who rotates through the schools in the area."

"There's a job for you when you improve," Kakashi said to Naruto. "You can teach the children here music rather than face painting."

Naruto blushed slightly, Iruka rolling his eyes. "That's a point, Naruto- go and wash that off in the break."

"I will, I will."

"For now, why don't you show Kakashi-san and Sasuke-san to the staff room? I'll finish up the children and dismiss them for break."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who still appeared to be annoyed about something, his thought track being confirmed by the dark glare he received in return.

Something told him he really, _really_ didn't want the man's company right then.

_Author's Notes: Sorry it's cut off slightly abruptly- I've got a busy week on my hands here XD I'll make up for it next time by finally getting to some SasuNaru action ;)_

_I'm going to keep trying to update every 3-5 days, but I start a course that counts for my Diploma on Friday, and I don't know how badly I'm going to be swamped. It LOOKS alright from the prospectus I've seen, so let's hope so._

_Shameless shout out- Tomorrow's my birthday! As much as I want to sit home and write more SasuNaru fics, I imagine my husband has "better" plans for me XD_


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note: Thank you to everyone has reviewed! I really appreciate it. I did this quicker than expected given how busy I've been XD_

**Andante, Allegro, Al Fine!**

Chapter 5

"So what are you so annoyed about?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto as they walked through the corridors of the small school.

"Oh I don't know," he said sarcastically. "Maybe it was Kakashi dragging me here without telling me what was going on, or even where we were _going_."

"It's an opportunity," Kakashi told him. "Your practice yesterday was terrible, and I need to kick-start you."

"Its _children_," Sasuke repeated as Naruto stopped and pushed open a door on the right- the staff room. The three of them entered it, Naruto taking a seat at the table within it and motioning for the others to join. "I could play all the notes wrong, as long as it's _fast_ they won't care."

"Ah, but I will know," Kakashi told him. "And so will Iruka. He's apparently quite a fan of Gai and I. I don't want my pupil showing me up."

Sasuke glared at him darkly.

"I should go and wash this paint off," Naruto said, standing quickly. The tension in the air was as thick as mud, and he couldn't stand it.

"I don't know why you're so bitter, Sasuke," Kakashi continued as though Naruto hadn't said anything. "I saved you from an afternoon of drinking yourself into a coma, it seemed. What an earth was your brother yelling about today?"

"Shut up," Sasuke snapped, glancing at Naruto. Naruto caught it, and wisely made himself scarce to wash.

"So, what was it?" Kakashi asked again when Naruto was gone. "You looked like you were about to cry when you answered the door to me."

"Don't be stupid," Sasuke replied, crossing his arms.

"Of course. Sasuke the ice king, you're incapable of human emotion, I forgot that!"

"Don't patronize me."

"Your brother looked like he wanted to murder me for interrupting," Kakashi said smoothly, getting the conversation back on track. "I could hear you both shouting from the garden path."

"He's just being Itachi," Sasuke shrugged, stopping as Naruto came back to the table, Iruka entering the room as well.

"Naruto, you haven't offered them something to drink?!" Iruka said incredulously.

"I only just got back from washing the paint off my face!" Naruto protested.

"Would you like anything?" Iruka asked, walking to the table and smiling nervously. "I know what you like Naruto. Kakashi-san, Sasuke-san?"

"A black coffee, no sugar, would be great," Kakashi replied. "Sasuke?"

"Just water is fine."

Iruka busied himself with the drinks, Naruto looking between Kakashi and Sasuke slowly.

"So what are you going to play?" He asked when his gaze landed on Sasuke again.

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know what scores Kakashi bought with him."

"Ah, Sasuke," Kakashi said. "I didn't bring any. Surely a pupil of 'Copycat Kakashi' can spring something entertaining from memory?"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh that's right, I forgot," Kakashi said in a voice that suggested he had _not_ forgotten at all. "You're not too good with memory, are you?"

Sasuke looked like he was going to strangle the silver haired man.

"I needed a reason to get you nervous," Kakashi said with a shrug. "After all, I know how nerve-wracking your recital is going to be, and I know you wouldn't care about playing to a bunch of children without _some_ kind of handicap."

Sasuke shrugged. "Even if I mess up, no big deal."

"If you mess up the recital, it'll be a 'big deal'."

"This isn't the recital," Sasuke protested.

"Think of it as practice," Kakashi said, accepting his coffee from Iruka with a nod of thanks. "After all, you don't want to get a performance wrong in front of your _pupil_, right _Sensei_?"

He winked in Naruto's direction. Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, Kakashi smirking slightly when he saw that small flicker of fear he'd be aiming for in his eyes.

-.-.-

"Where are we going?"

Naruto turned to Konohamaru, who was the first in the line of children he was leading smartly down the corridor.

"We're going to school hall," Naruto told him. "There's a surprise waiting."

He pushed open the double door to the hall, leaning against it and keeping it open as the children filed past him.

Iruka was seated at the side of the hall with Kakashi, and Sasuke was sitting at the piano. Iruka stood, indicating to the children to sit in lines to the side of the piano.

"We're going to listen to Sasuke-san play some things on the piano," Iruka told the excited children. "So settle down, and be good for him."

Naruto moved away from the door as the last child walked in, taking a seat on the floor behind the children. Sasuke looked over at them, something vaguely resembling a smile attempting to tug at his lips. Naruto rolled his eyes.

_Smiling won't kill you, moron._

"So… Does anyone have anything they'd like to hear?" Sasuke asked.

The children all looked at him blankly.

"They're five, Sasuke," Kakashi called to him. "They don't _know_ classical music, do they?"

Naruto laughed a little at that, earning him a dark glance from Sasuke before he resumed his forced semi-smile.

"Alright, how about we have Naruto chose something?" Sasuke said.

"Yeah!" Konohamaru cheered. "Naruto, you pick something cool for him to play!"

Naruto thought about it for a moment, almost tempted to say the names of the pieces he knew Sasuke was learning for his recital, but he suspected he'd be flat-out told no. Besides, he couldn't remember their names.

"How about… The Moonlight Sonata?" He said, remembering their conversation about Beethoven on the train.

Sasuke's face fell, but he covered it quickly, sighing and glancing at Kakashi.

Kakashi shrugged. "You played it to death, Sasuke, you should know it from memory. Just play the first movement."

"Isn't that a bit depressing for kids?" Sasuke snapped at him quietly.

"They'll be fine," Iruka told him with a smile.

Sasuke gave Naruto one more quick glare, before beginning to play.

Naruto found himself just as enthralled as he had been the first time Sasuke played to him, feeling himself being drawn into the music. Despite his apprehension about recalling it from memory, he didn't miss a note, gracefully manipulating the piano to play the beautiful sonata.

He missed a chord, then, Naruto wincing slightly as even his untrained ear caught the breach in harmony. To Sasuke's credit, he covered it swiftly and didn't flail in recovering it. He noticed Kakashi nod approvingly.

"He's so good," Konohamaru whispered to him, turning round to face him.

"He is, isn't he?" Naruto agreed quietly. "He's my sensei."

"You play the piano too?!" Konohamaru said, eyes wide.

"I only just started, but yeah, I do."

"I want to learn to play too!" Konohamaru replied, grinning.

"Pay attention," Naruto whispered back, pointing to Sasuke. Konohamaru did as he was told, Naruto doing the same.

Watching Sasuke play the piano was like watching a whole new side of him come out. He played with a fire in his eyes, clearly visible, his whole face occasionally contorting with passion when he played some of the more moving sections of the song. It made him look almost like a different person, and infinitely more attractive than when he was his usual, rough self.

Attractive?

Naruto blinked. Where had that come from?

He looked up at Sasuke again, a sinking feeling in his heart as he realized _why_ he had been indecisive about meeting with the man again. _Because he was attracted to him_.

He slowly brought a hand up to his mouth, covering it slowly. That was one thing he could have done without realizing.

Sasuke finished the sonata, visibly sighing in relief, Iruka standing up to clap him. The children all joined in, and Naruto jumped to his feet and clapped harder than everyone in the room together.

"May I?" Kakashi asked Iruka. Iruka nodded, knowing what he was asking.

Kakashi stood, putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"You did well," he said quietly. "You covered that missed chord expertly."

"There wouldn't have been a missed chord if you'd brought some music with you," Sasuke snapped, standing up.

"And where did that _passion_ come from?" Kakashi continued. "I think I know the answer…" He looked over at Naruto. "Don't you?"

Sasuke didn't reply, walking away towards the empty seat by Iruka. Kakashi sat down in his place, turning to the children.

"Hi!" He said with a small wave. "How many of you recognize _this_?"

He played the first few notes of The Entertainer, and several children raised their hands, calling 'me, me!'

"Alright! Do you want to hear it?"

"Yeah!" The children called excitedly.

Kakashi launched into it immediately, all the kids cheering him. Sasuke took Kakashi's seat in the meantime, closing his eyes and crossing his arms.

"That was a wonderful performance," Iruka told him quietly. "Thank you."

Sasuke opened his eyes, turning to the older man. Naruto's guardian, he remembered.

"No problem," he answered politely.

Naruto, who had got up to see them, beamed at Sasuke.

"That was amazing!" He said.

Sasuke shrugged it off, suddenly nervous in the presence of both Naruto and Iruka.

"See Iruka? I told you he was good."

"Well, he's Kakashi-san's pupil," Iruka said. "I'm not surprised."

"So what time am I coming tomorrow for the lesson?" Naruto asked Sasuke.

Sasuke shrugged. "You could come when you're done here if you want."

Naruto looked at Iruka, who nodded. "You can leave with them, if you'd like. I'd appreciate it if you could get the children to finish their paintings and tidy away first, though."

"Kakashi can give you a lift as well," Sasuke volunteer his sensei, who was still playing to the children and seemingly in his element. "He'll be dropping me off, so it's not out of his way."

Naruto nodded. "If you're sure that's okay, then alright. Sounds like a plan."

-.-.-

Kakashi dropped them off at Sasuke's place, Sasuke doing a quick check of the house and thanking that his brother wasn't home.

They made their way into the living room, Sasuke seating himself on the sofa and Naruto sitting next to him.

"I don't know why you're sitting there," Sasuke said, turning to him. "Your seat is at the piano."

Naruto sighed, standing up. "Yes, _sensei_."

"We were on scales yesterday, weren't we?" Sasuke asked, stepping up behind the blond once he was seated.

"Yeah," Naruto confirmed.

"Alright," Sasuke said, leaning over Naruto and taking his hand.

Naruto tried to get his mind off how _warm_ Sasuke's hand was, swallowing hard. He could feel his breath on his neck as he spoke instructions he was no longer listening to, could feel the heat Sasuke's body was radiating next to him…

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked. "Are you listening to me?"

He still hadn't let Naruto's hand go.

"A-ah, sorry," Naruto stuttered. "I spaced out."

Sasuke pulled his hand away then, sighing and crossing his arms. "Moron."

Naruto didn't- couldn't- respond.

Sasuke explained the scales again, keeping his hands to himself this time. Naruto obeyed his instruction, twisting his hand along the scale as Sasuke had told him to. He could barely think straight, and he shook his head slightly to clear it.

"Could I have a glass of water please?" He asked, pulling his hand off the piano.

"Oh. Sure."

Sasuke left to fetch one, Naruto taking the moment to take a few deep breaths. Why did Sasuke's breath on his neck make him weak at the knees? Why did he feel this way? He'd never felt that way about another man before- but, for that matter, he'd never felt that way about a woman before, either.

He shook his head again as Sasuke came back into the room, handing him the glass of water. Naruto nodded a thanks, downing it quickly and telling himself to get his head straight. He didn't fancy trying to explain to his sensei why he was flustered.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sasuke asked, taking the glass from him and placing it on the nearby windowsill. "You're looking a bit pale."

"F-fine," Naruto stammered.

Sasuke didn't believe that for a moment. He walked over to Naruto, who turned as he did so, avoiding his gaze.

"Let's take a five minute break?" He suggested.

"No," Naruto disagreed, shaking his head. "I'm alright. Carry on, Sasuke."

He felt Sasuke putting a hand on his shoulder in a rare bout of concern, and he stiffened. Of all the times the bastard had chosen to show some compassion, it _had_ to be now?!

Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt Naruto stiffen, feeling him tremble slightly under his touch and his breath quicken. There was generally only one reason for that kind of reaction to touch. Feeling bold, he ran his fingers across the blond's shoulder gently.

Naruto shuddered.

Sasuke ran the hand right down Naruto's arm, reaching his hand, grasping it slowly and intertwining their fingers. Naruto clasped back for a moment, before letting go and turning around in the stool.

"Sasuke…?" He breathed.

He turned completely, standing up and attempting to get his breath back before Sasuke leant forward, lightly pulling his chin up to his lips and kissing him softly.

Naruto melted into it, leaning back by instinct. He half-fell backwards onto the piano keys, making them sound loudly and tunelessly as he did so. Sasuke didn't protest about the poor treatment his piano was receiving, kissing Naruto harder, winding his hands through his hair and clutching gently at it in fervor.

"Sasuke…" Naruto repeated, his voice throaty and _longing_. Sasuke caught it, running a line of soft kisses down Naruto's neck, feeling him tremble beneath his touch.

Naruto pushed him off slightly. "Sasuke, we've known each other two days-"

Sasuke silenced him with a finger to his lips. "You're enjoying it, aren't you?"

Naruto swallowed. Hard. "Y-Yes, but-"

"Then shut the fuck up."

Sasuke kissed him again to silence any response he might give, prying Naruto's lips open slightly with his tongue and wrapping his arms around him again. Naruto slowly wrapped his arms around him in return, letting the incredible feeling Sasuke was creating in him wash over him.

"So this is what you meant by 'teaching'?"

Both Sasuke and Naruto flew apart, causing more tunelessly clanking of the keys by Naruto. Sasuke stared at the doorway, wide eyed.

"Itachi," he breathed.

Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I want an explanation for this."

He turned to Naruto, who was standing against the wall next to the piano, hoping he could sink into it. "Get out."

Naruto didn't need telling twice, glancing at Sasuke before swiftly making an exit.

"So," Itachi said, stepping into the room once Naruto was gone. "You lied to me."

"No," Sasuke replied. "I didn't lie. He's my pupil, I'm his sensei."

"Then you're a whore, Sasuke. You met him _two days ago_."

"I don't know what came over me," Sasuke said with a small, nervous shrug. "It just… Happened."

"Of _course_," Itachi said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "You just _happened_ to kiss another _man_, just like that. Common mistake, surely."

"What's it to do with you anyway?" Sasuke replied, sitting on the sofa.

"I should have known you were like _that_," Itachi said, practically spitting the last word. "Nineteen and never had a girlfriend?"

Sasuke shrugged again. "I'm still not sure how my love life is any of your business."

"Because you brought him into _my_ house, under false pretenses!" Itachi raged, walking over to Sasuke's piano. "You and your damned _piano_."

He accented the word with a swift, hard kick to the white wooden side, causing Sasuke to physically wince.

"After they died, all you did was play _this-_" Another kick. "Piece of junk instead of going to college and making something of yourself."

"I'm the pupil of one of the most famous pianists in Japan," Sasuke countered. "I'd say I made something of myself."

"But it means _nothing_," Itachi shouted. He aimed another sharp kick to the side of the piano. "And now, _this_ thing has caused problems, _again_."

"Would you stop kicking my fucking piano?" Sasuke snapped, standing up, his fists balled in anger.

Itachi picked up the wooden piano stool, smashing it down onto the piano.

"Hey!" Sasuke said sharply, stepping forward. "Stop it!"

Itachi turned to him, stall raised again. "If I rid you of the piano, I rid us of these problems."

With that, he slammed the stool back onto the piano again, causing it to break and the wood on the top of the piano to splinter.

"_Stop_ it!" Sasuke yelled again, grabbing Itachi's arm. Itachi roughly pushed him off so hard he lost his balance, falling to the floor. He watched from there as Itachi grabbed part of the broken stool, continuing to smash at the piano.

The wood at the top splintered in half, and Itachi ripped it off, using it to beat the rest of the piano. Sasuke closed his eyes to it, covering his ears with his hands to the sickening cracks and tuneless clanks his beloved instrument was emitting.

"Get up!" Itachi yelled at him, stopping his destruction for a moment to drop the piece of wood and grab Sasuke, dragging him up from the floor. He dropped him on the sofa, stalking back over to the piano and picking up the wood again.

"_Stop it_!" Sasuke screeched at him, getting up and running at him, grabbing his brother's arm again and punching at his side. Itachi roughly shook him off, dropping the wood again and picking Sasuke up effortlessly.

"Put me down!" Sasuke shouted, hammering his fists onto Itachi's back as he carried him to the front door, dropping him outside of it unceremoniously and slamming it shut. Sasuke stood up, having barely felt the fall, and began pounding the door.

"Sasuke…?"

He stopped, turning around. Naruto was standing at the bottom of his garden path, looking at him wearily. Through the door, he could the sorrowful sounds of his piano being destroyed. He closed his eyes, feeling tears within them.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called again, taking a step along the path but not daring to walk any further.

The door opened again, Itachi carrying parts of the once beautiful mini-grand, throwing them past Sasuke onto the front lawn. Sasuke watched him silently.

"I told you to get out," he yelled at Naruto. Naruto swallowed hard and hurriedly back-tracked off of the path. "And _you_," he said, turning to Sasuke, who refused to look up at him. "Get out of my sight."

He walked past Sasuke, slamming the front door shut loudly. Sasuke winced at the noise.

"What just happened…?" Naruto called from the edge of the path. "That's your…"

He tailed off, seeing Sasuke tremble even from the few feet away he was. He took the chance of incurring Itachi's wrath again, and half-ran up the path, stopping at Sasuke's side.

"Sasuke?" He said gently, putting a hand on his arm.

Sasuke collapsed at his feet, his head still lowered, and his shoulders still shaking. Naruto knelt down next to him, knowing without having to hear the soft sobbing that his friend was crying. He was also the first to admit he didn't know how to deal with that.

"I called Iruka," he said quietly. "I told him it was an emergency, and he got someone to cover him so he could pick me up. He can bring you back to my place as well, if you want."

Sasuke shook his head wordlessly.

"You're sure?"

A nod. Naruto didn't push it any further.

They stayed like that in silence for a while, the air only punctuated by Sasuke's soft crying occasionally.

"Look, Sasuke…" Naruto eventually said, putting a hand on his shoulder gently. "I don't know what the hell just happened in there, and I'm guessing now's not the time to discuss it. But I just want you to know that it's okay."

"Okay?" Sasuke snapped, finally looking over at Naruto. Naruto winced at the clearly visible, unmasked _pain_ in his watery eyes. "I don't know how you think things are _okay_ right now."

"I meant between us! Or whatever happened between us…" He sighed, trying to pick his words. "I don't care that you kissed me, is what I'm trying to say. I don't know why you did, and we've only known each other a couple of days, so I guess I'm confused. It's all been a bit quick."

Sasuke stood up, brushing his clothes down and turning away from Naruto again.

"Is he going to let you back in?"

"I doubt it," Sasuke replied, his voice stronger now, drying his eyes and cheeks with his hand.

"So where are you going to go?"

Sasuke shrugged in response.

"Then why don't you come back with me?" Naruto practically pleaded.

"No," Sasuke said again. "There's no point coming back with you when we have to part here."

Naruto's blood ran cold.

"What…?"

"Well, I don't have a piano to teach you on anymore," Sasuke replied, indicating what was left of his piano strewn across the garden. "So that's it."

"That doesn't mean we have to part, surely?" Naruto asked. "I thought we were more than just sensei and pupil. Especially… Well, you know… Especially _now_."

Sasuke shook his head slowly, setting off up the garden path. Naruto followed him a few paces behind. "It's been nice, Naruto. But it ends here."

He closed the gate once they were both out of it, turning to Naruto and holding a hand up as a silent farewell gesture and turning away, walking briskly up the road.

"Wait!" Naruto called, jogging behind him. "Sasuke, _wait_!"

"Follow me and I'll knock you out, Naruto," Sasuke called over his shoulder. "It's goodbye."

"Goodbye…?" Naruto repeated in a whisper, stopping and watching Sasuke's retreating form. "But I don't want it to be goodbye…"

He sank to the floor, watching Sasuke walk up the road until he turned a corner and was gone. His eyes stayed fixated on where he had been, and he felt his throat constrict when he tried to breath.

"Goodbye…" He choked, bringing his knees up to his chest and doing the only thing he felt he could.

He cried.

_Author's Note: I'm sorry- I suppose I'm a bit of an angst fan at heart XD Funnily enough, the piano destruction scene was pretty hard for me to write. It almost feels like murder, but, I suppose that's the reaction of being a pianist who respects her tools well. The piano is an extension of my voice, as far as I'm concerned._

_Argh! I need to hug Sasuke and slap Itachi now... Or write something quick and fluffy to make up for it.  
_

_...No, now **I **need a slap, I shouldn't get distracted! XD  
_

_Next time- making up isn't ALWAYS so hard to do… ;)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Argh, sorry this is slightly late, I've been really really sick :(_

**Andante, Allegro, Al Fine! **

Chapter 6

"Naruto…"

Iruka sighed as he stood awkwardly in Naruto's doorway. It was four pm, two days after he'd picked a distraught Naruto up from outside Sasuke's house, and Naruto had refused to talk. He'd got in and gone straight to his bedroom, and stayed there practically the whole time.

The curtains were closed and Naruto was under the covers of his bed, but Iruka could see he was wide awake, his eyes open and fixated on nothing.

"Naruto, are you going to talk to me?"

Naruto continued to stare, blinking slowly.

"Don't make me come and open the curtains, young man."

Still nothing.

Iruka stepped inside, closing the door behind him and sitting on the edge of Naruto's bed with a soft sigh. He put a hand out to Naruto's shoulder, feeling him tense beneath his touch.

"I'm not a fool," he said quietly. "I saw a smashed piano on the lawn when I picked you up. Did… You do that?"

"No," Naruto replied, his voice blank. "His brother did."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Iruka saw straight through that.

"I think you have an idea. I'm your Iruka-Dad, remember? I know you as well as you know yourself, or at least, I'd like to think so. You can't lie to me."

"So you'll know I'm fucked in the head, then," Naruto snapped, frustrated. Iruka looked taken aback, retracting his hand slowly.

"I think you hold feelings for Sasuke-san beyond those of a sensei, and even a friend, if that's what you mean."

Naruto looked up at him sharply.

"You've been lying around, moping like a lovesick teenage girl," Iruka said bluntly. "And that doesn't make you 'fucked in the head', Naruto, it makes you _you_. We're all different."

"He kissed me," Naruto said bitterly. "He _kissed_ me and his fucking brother walked in and threw me out the house. Then he threw Sasuke out a few minutes later with bits of his piano."

"So where is Sasuke-san now?" Iruka asked.

Naruto shrugged. "He said goodbye," he whispered. "He said it was goodbye… He said he couldn't teach me anymore because he didn't have a piano, and that it should end."

Iruka put his hand back on Naruto's shoulder. "I think Sasuke-san's brother probably said some very hateful things to him, so he chose the easy route of telling you goodbye to sort his feelings out."

"You think?" Naruto said, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Iruka nodded. "For you to be so close after only a couple of days, I think you have something between you, yes."

"And… You don't mind…?"

Iruka snorted. "Of course I don't, what do you take me for? Your parents would have wanted nothing more than for you to be happy, Naruto. I'm not going to stand in the way of that. Now come on, get up. If the boy has any sense, he'll call you soon enough. Just give him some space to sort his head out."

Naruto slowly sat up, nodding slightly.

"I know it isn't morning, but I can make you pancakes?" Iruka offered. Naruto smiled at that.

"Alright, you convinced me," he said, getting out of bed and surprising Iruka by grabbing him in a hug. "Thanks, Iruka-Dad."

Iruka smiled, wrapping his arms round the boy. "No problem, Naruto. I can't stand to see you sad like that."

He let Naruto go, frowning when he noticed the concern etched on the young man's face.

"I wonder where Sasuke is…" Naruto said quietly. "I don't think he'll have been welcome back at his house."

"Try calling him?" Iruka suggested. "You haven't spoken to him in all this time?"

"I sent him a couple of messages asking if he was alright, but he didn't reply. I sent him our address as well in case he needed somewhere to stay, but I don't think he'll come."

"He's old enough to take care of himself," Iruka reminded him. "Worry about yourself for now, he'll contact you soon enough, I'm sure. Get dressed and come eat the lovely pancakes I'm going to make you, hmm?"

He grinned and left the room, closing the door behind him. Naruto watched it close, changing out of his bedclothes and picking up his mobile phone. 'No new messages' had been taunting him, and it always rang and rang until it eventually went into answer phone when he tried to call. As much as he wanted to believe Iruka's words, he didn't believe he'd be hearing from Sasuke any time soon.

-.-.-

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, unsure exactly what had woken him, but knowing something definitely _had_. A blinking light caught his eye, and he turned his head to his bedside table.

The lights on the side of his mobile phone were flashing, and that only meant one thing…

Fully awake, he sat up and snatched it up, clicking 'open' on the waiting message.

'_Could you let me in?'_

Naruto jumped out of bed, grabbing his dressing gown and putting it on as he slowly made his way out of his bedroom and to the front door. The sensor light in his front garden was on, indicating somebody's presence.

He pulled the door open, hit by a gust of cold wind as he did so. He shivered, stepping aside to let his visitor in.

"You look like hell," he said softly, closing the door and looking Sasuke up and down. The scent of alcohol and cigarettes assaulted him, and he coughed slightly. "And you smell like a bar."

Sasuke glared at him. "That's a nice greeting. Thanks a lot."

"Says the guy whose last words to me where 'goodbye'," Naruto snapped back quietly, not wanting to wake Iruka.

Sasuke blushed slightly, turning away. "I didn't have much of a choice. Where's your bathroom?"

Naruto stared at him incredulously. "You woke me up at four am to let you in to use my _bathroom_? Go back outside again and go pee in a bush, asshole."

Sasuke shook his head, glaring at him. "No you moron, I've been living in a _bar_ for the last two days, and I need a shower _right now_ before I go crazy."

"Living in a bar?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "As in, staying in accommodation there, or…?"

"No," Sasuke filled in. "Staying in the _bar_. The owner knows me pretty well, he didn't object to me sleeping in a corner in the main bar. I just slept in the day and left at night."

"Where did you go at night?"

Sasuke shrugged. "No-where. Just walked around, sat in parks, did a lot of thinking… That kind of thing. Now, are you going to direct me to your bathroom, or am I going to have to go looking?"

"Don't wake Iruka up," Naruto ordered. "He has work in the morning."

"I've been quiet to now, haven't I?"

Naruto led him quietly through the house, showing him where the bathroom was and finding him a big, fluffy blue towel.

"I guess you'll need your clothes washing?" He asked.

"Ah," Sasuke said, taking the towel. "I didn't think of that."

Naruto shrugged his dressing gown off, handing it to Sasuke. "I'll wash your clothes for you. I won't be able to do it until Iruka's awake, though, our washing machine is kinda loud. Put that on for now when you get out."

Sasuke shrugged his indifference, closing the door with a soft click.

Naruto sighed, shaking his head and walking to the kitchen. He wasn't a big fan of coffee, but he was going to raid Iruka's stash this once. He needed a fast wake up call.

-.-.-

Twenty minutes later, he heard a soft padding sound in the hallway, and he got up from the bed, opening his door quietly. Sasuke looked over at him, clad in Naruto's dressing gown, which was hanging off his thin frame rather pathetically. He walked up to Naruto's room, entering it and letting Naruto close it again.

"I was hoping you'd come and find me," Sasuke said, dropping the clothes he had been carrying in a corner. "I didn't want to get the wrong room and wake up your guardian."

Naruto glared at him, throwing himself back down on the bed. Sasuke sat down on the edge of it.

"You're angry," he said flatly.

"Of course I am," Naruto snapped. "One minute you're kissing me, the next it's 'goodbye', and now you're acting like we're all fine and happy and nothing happened?"

"Naruto," Sasuke said evenly. "I just needed time to get my head straight, that's all. My brother _threw me out_ for kissing you. He also destroyed the only thing I've managed to find solace in since my parents died for it."

Naruto's eyes widened. He had suspected Sasuke's parents had died, but had never had confirmation from him.

"I could have gone back and told him I wasn't going to see you again, and he'd have let me back in. I know it. And the reason I've spent the past two days living in the corner of a fucking _bar_ is because I was trying to decide whether whatever it was we have was _worth it_."

"And…?" Naruto said quietly, not meeting his gaze.

"The fact I'm here tells you the answer to that, doesn't it?" Sasuke replied softly.

Naruto scowled. "It took you two days to decide? I should be insulted."

Sasuke punched his arm, scowling back.

"What about your recital…?" Naruto asked, the thought hitting him.

Sasuke sighed heavily. "I've been avoiding Kakashi's calls the past couple of days. I don't want to disappoint him… I'll do it without the practice. I'll just have to pay more attention, that's all."

Naruto could see the hurt in his eyes, and pulled Sasuke's hand into his own, clasping it tightly.

"You're passionate about it, huh?" He said quietly.

Sasuke nodded, lying back on the bed next to Naruto. "When my parents died, I… I didn't take it very well. Kakashi and Gai were performing in town that week, and my parents had had tickets to go. I decided to take one and go, as a mark of respect. I enjoyed it a lot, but after the show, I got thinking about how my parents would have enjoyed it, too…"

He sighed, closing his eyes at what Naruto assumed was the memory. "Kakashi found me sitting outside on the steps of the auditorium, crying my eyes. He sat with me without saying a word, asking me when I'd finally calmed down enough to speak if I was alright. We talked for a while, I told him about my parents, and he offered to tutor me as a distraction."

"When was that?" Naruto asked.

"A year ago."

Naruto gaped at him. "You've only been playing for a year?!"

"I played a _lot_," Sasuke said by way of explanation. "Every waking hour. Itachi got angry with me- he told me I should be making my parents proud by going to college and making something of myself. He said playing the piano wasn't a 'viable' way to lead my life."

"Kakashi and Gai seem to do it pretty well," Naruto replied. Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"The recital is on the anniversary of my parents' death," he said. "Kakashi did that on purpose. He said I'd sit around drinking and being depressed otherwise."

"What _is_ the deal with the drinking thing?" Naruto asked quietly. Sasuke glanced over at him.

"It's nothing big," he said. "It's just a habit I got into to deal with stress."

"That's usually called alcoholism," Naruto said with a smirk.

Sasuke scowled at him. "It's _fine_. Don't you start, you'll sound like Kakashi."

They lapsed into silence, hands entwined and lying next to each other.

"So…" Naruto said, his voice a whisper, laying his head on Sasuke's shoulder. "What now?"

"This."

Sasuke nudged Naruto's head off of his shoulder, turning and locking his lips with Naruto's. Naruto responded by putting his arms around Sasuke, running his hand across the thin material of the dressing gown on the dark haired man's back.

They deepened the kiss, Naruto slipping his hand under the collar of the dressing gown, edging it off slightly and running his hand across Sasuke's bare shoulder. Sasuke pulled out away gently, resting his head on Naruto's shoulder and trying to catch his breath.

"When I went to that Battle," Naruto breathed in Sasuke's ear. "I didn't expect to walk out of it with a new hobby and a boyfriend."

He kissed Sasuke again, gently tugging on the front of the dressing gown, undoing it and running a hand down Sasuke's bare chest. Sasuke shuddered in response, breaking the kiss and planting small pecks on Naruto's neck, slowly running down until he reached the material of Naruto's bedclothes.

"Well this won't do, will it?" He whispered, slipping his hand under the material as Naruto had done to him.

"How about this?" Naruto responded, unbuttoning his top and slipping out of it quickly.

"That's good too," Sasuke agreed, kissing him again.

"Nu uh," Naruto uttered, breaking it and reaching forward, tugging on the dressing gown Sasuke was wearing.

"I'm not wearing anything underneath that," Sasuke warned him.

Naruto grinned. "That sounds pretty good to me."

_Author's Note: Use your imagination from there ;)_

_The next chapter will be the last, and then there will be an epilogue. I've got it all planned out, too! But since I got sick, I'm ALREADY behind on my coursework, so uh, awesome. I need to do lots of that over the next couple of days, but I'll try and get the next chapter out at the weekend._

_I've also started work on another SasuNaru, but I'll concentrate on this one and finish it first before getting too carried away with it XD_


	7. Chapter 7

A_uthor's Note: So, I've had food poisoning. Urgh. It sucks. But I finally pulled this together, along with a small little SasuNaru piece I posted earlier, AND I've started work on another chaptered SasuNaru as well. Coursework? What coursework? ;D_

**Andante, Allegro, Al Fine! **

Chapter 7

"Rise and shine, Naruto!"

Iruka waltzed into Naruto's bedroom as he did every morning, pulling the curtains back to admit sunlight in, and turning round to the bed.

Naruto hadn't even stirred, it seemed.

"Naruto!" He called loudly.

"What, what?!" Naruto called, eyes snapping open and sitting bolt upright. He clutched the covers to his bare chest, flushing bright red for some reason Iruka couldn't fathom.

"Sorry I startled you," Iruka chuckled. "I'm going to make some toast, do you want some?"

"No," Naruto said, a little too quickly. "I'm fine."

"Now, Naruto," Iruka said, walking over to the edge of the bed. "You can't lie around in bed all day."

He grabbed the edge of the cover to pull it back, Naruto snatching it back. Iruka pulled away, suddenly realizing Naruto was not only naked, but there appeared to be another person-shaped lump under the covers.

"Naruto," he said knowingly. "If you're going to invite people over, you should at least warn me."

Naruto flushed even deeper crimson, and Sasuke poked his head up, looking sheepishly at Iruka.

"So it is you, Sasuke-san," Iruka said. Naruto glared at him with a look that read 'of course'. "Will you be staying for breakfast?"

"Ah, yes please," Sasuke replied, not meeting his eye.

"I'll go and put some toast on," he said with a wink, leaving the room and closing the door behind him quietly.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and Sasuke lay back down, burying his head in the pillow in shame.

"He didn't seem to mind," he said, his voice muffled.

"I told him how I felt about you," Naruto informed him. "He didn't have any problems with it."

"That's nice to know," Sasuke replied, pulling his head back out of the pillow.

"We should get up and get breakfast," Naruto told him, getting out of the bed and dressing quickly. He threw the dressing gown Sasuke had been wearing onto the bed, Sasuke taking it and getting up.

"I should call Kakashi today," he said with a sigh. "Do you mind if he comes here?"

"Mind?" Naruto echoed. "I think Iruka would fall all over himself to allow it."

They made their way to the kitchen, where Iruka was grinning widely at them.

"So," Iruka said, still grinning as they sat down, pouring them both an orange juice. "My little Naruto's no longer a virgin!"

Naruto dropped the piece of toast he'd just picked up and Sasuke choked on his drink.

"We didn't do _that_," Naruto snapped.

"Oh, you don't need to lie to me, Naruto," Iruka said, that big grin not leaving his face.

"I'm not lying!" Naruto screeched, hiding his reddened face behind his hands.

"You don't need to be coy with me!" Iruka exclaimed, getting up and dragging Naruto out of his chair, hugging him tightly. "I'm so happy for you!"

Naruto struggled free, blushing and throwing a glare at Sasuke, who was smirking behind his hand.

"Iruka, it's alright if Kakashi comes here today, isn't it?" Naruto asked, sitting down and picking his toast back up again. "Sasuke has some things to speak to him about."

Iruka nodded enthusiastically. "Of course."

Sasuke nodded a thank you, finishing his toast and standing, dialing a number- Kakashi's, they presumed- and slipping out the door into the hallway.

"I told you things would work out, didn't I?" Iruka said, winking at Naruto. "He came in the night?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "He's been staying in the corner of a bar, trying to work out whether he wanted to work things out, or whether he wanted to go back to his brother."

Iruka smiled kindly. "I'm going to guess he chose you, since he's here?"

Naruto nodded, finishing the last of his toast and gathering the plates together. "I'll wash up today, Iruka."

He gathered everything together, filling the sink with water and turning back to Iruka.

"I don't know how long he'll be here," he said slowly. Iruka shook his head.

"As long as he needs. Of course, I'd like that he could sort things out with his brother _and_ still see you, but that's out of my control. But if he needs to stay here for a while, then that's alright."

Naruto sighed, turning back round and starting on the washing up. Iruka stood, walking to his side, concern etched on his face.

"He has his recital in five days," Naruto said quietly. "And no piano to practice on. He'll probably end up staying with Kakashi so he can play there. He _should_, anyway."

He stopped talking as he heard the door re-open, and Sasuke come back into the room.

"Kakashi will be here within the hour," he said, sitting back at the table, apparently deep in thought.

Naruto, who was still washing up, didn't question it.

-.-.-

Kakashi didn't look very pleased.

Iruka smiled nervously, leading him through to the kitchen where Sasuke was sitting, ordering Naruto to offer him a drink and then 'make yourself scarce'. He did the same, entering the living room and closing the door behind him.

"I'm fine, Naruto," Kakashi said as Naruto opened his mouth. He sat down opposite Sasuke, who was staring at the cracks in the wooden table in front of him.

Naruto took the hint and swiftly joined Iruka in the living room.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke," Kakashi said, sighing and shaking his head. "You realize I do know what happened, don't you?"

Sasuke looked up at him, eyes slightly wide.

"I called Itachi after you kept ignoring my phone calls. He told me he'd thrown you out, and to never call again. I asked him why, and he told me about you and Naruto- not in the most pleasant manner, but he told me none the less."

"Did he tell you he smashed my piano?" Sasuke replied bitterly, still not meeting Kakashi's eye.

"Ah," Kakashi said slowly. "No, he didn't mention that."

"I'll do the recital anyway," Sasuke continued hurriedly. "I'm not going to disappoint you. I know the pieces well enough- I don't need to practice much more. I'll pay close attention on the night, and make sure I get it right for you."

Kakashi sat back in the chair, not saying anything in response. Sasuke dared to look up at him, realizing he was clearly thinking.

"Kakashi?"

"Sasuke, if you want to pull out, I'll understand," Kakashi said after a moment. "I'm not going to force-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted. "I'll do it. I _need_ to."

He didn't need to elaborate on why.

"I'm more concerned right now as to why you ignored my phone calls," Kakashi said evenly. "Did you stay here with Naruto?"

"No," Sasuke replied, his voice quiet.

"So you stayed on the street? I know you weren't with your brother."

"At a bar," Sasuke filled in. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"I should have known," he said with a sigh. "You know you could have come to me."

"I needed some time alone," Sasuke replied with a small shake of the head. "You'd have probably have just told me to go home, anyway."

Kakashi gave him a stern look.

"Sasuke," he scolded. "You should know me better than that by now. Now, I'm not going to let you do that recital without any practice leading up to it. You can come to my place and use my piano."

"Thank you," Sasuke replied quietly.

"I can't have my pupil's first performance going badly due to circumstance, can I?" Kakashi said with a wink, standing up. "I'll bring you back with me now. I'm free this morning."

Sasuke nodded, standing up too. "I'll let Naruto know."

"Thank Iruka-san for letting us come here, won't you? My car's parked up the road I'll see you there."

Kakashi let himself out as Sasuke pushed open the living room door, gaining Iruka and Naruto's attention from the sofa.

"I'm going with Kakashi for some practice," he said softly. "I'll be back this afternoon, if that's alright with you, Iruka?"

Iruka waved a hand at him dismissively. "Of course."

"Thank you for allowing Kakashi and I to come here"

Iruka waved his hand again, shaking his head. "It's no problem, really. It's a pleasure."

Sasuke turned to Naruto, giving him a small wave. "I'll see you later. I'll see myself out."

"Mm," Naruto nodded, waving back. "Have fun."

As soon as he was gone, Naruto jumped up, running into the kitchen and grabbing his car keys. Iruka followed him, confused.

"I'm going to take some of my inheritance money and give Sasuke a nice surprise for when he gets back," Naruto said, catching the look on Iruka's face. "Where would I buy a piano in this town?"

-.-.-

Naruto pushed open the door to the music store slowly, a small bell above it jingling softly. He closed it quickly to keep the cold breeze out, looking around slowly. He caught the eye of a young, female assistant, who made her way over to him.

"Can I help you, Sir?" She asked politely.

"I'd like to buy a piano," he said.

"Alright, what type of piano?"

Naruto looked at blankly.

"Type…?"

"There's lots of types of pianos," the girl told him. "The most popular is upright."

"Can I see one of those?"

"Of course. Follow me, Sir."

She led him into a side showroom, which had various different pianos, electric keyboards, and various other larger instruments within in. She pointed to a nearby mahogany upright piano.

"This is an upright piano, Sir."

Naruto shook his head. "No, that's not it."

"Do you know what kind of thing you're looking for?" She asked. "Take a look around."

Naruto nodded, scanning the shop floor slowly for any sign of a piano like Sasuke's had been. Pianos, keyboards, digital pianos, drum-kits… And a black mini-grand nestled in the corner. He jogged over to it, grinning.

"This," he called to the girl, who was walking briskly following him. "This type."

"That's a baby grand," she told him. "Is this the type you're interested in?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Do you have any in white?"

The girl shook her head. "That's our only baby grand right now."

"Then I'll take it. How much is it?"

"I'll find out for you, Sir."

She walked away, leaving Naruto with the piano. He looked it over, running a hand gently across the keys. Hopefully Sasuke would love it.

He pulled his wallet from his pocket, taking his bank card out and turning it over in his hands. His parents had left him a very reasonable inheritance that he'd been weary to touch unless for a good cause, and this seemed like a good cause to him.

A small part of his brain mentally kicked him, reminding him he hadn't even known Sasuke a week and he was going to be spending quite a bit of cash on him, but he knocked it back down again. This was _right_.

The girl re-approached him, and he turned to her expectantly.

"This is one of the best models out right now, Sir," she told him. "It's 415,000 Yen."

Naruto nearly fell over. The girl looked apologetic, shifting uncomfortably.

"If it's too much, we can look at some cheaper upright pianos," she told him.

"No," Naruto told her, shaking his head and handing her his card. "I'll take it."

-.-.-

"It's so big, Naruto. Did you have to get a baby grand?"

Naruto and Iruka were standing side by side, looking at the piano in the corner of Iruka's living room. They'd had to ask the delivery men to move some furniture around to get it in, but it was finally there.

"Yes," Naruto replied firmly. "Sasuke had a baby grand before, so I wanted to get the same one."

"Those two delivery men didn't seem too pleased moving our stuff around to get it in."

Naruto looked sheepish. "I had to run around town to find a delivery service, _and_ pay them more to bring it today. They probably weren't very pleased with me, anyway."

"So, go on," Iruka urged. "Sit down, show me what you can do!"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't know anything yet. We're still working on the basics."

"Well, as soon as you know something, you have to play it to me," Iruka told him, nudging his side. "Did Sasuke say when he would be back?"

"No. Just 'this afternoon'. I was hoping I'd get back before him."

Iruka checked his watch. "It's nearly two now, he'll probably be along any time soon. Do you want some lunch while we wait?"

Naruto's face lit up, and Iruka chuckled.

"I take that as a yes. Come into the kitchen and find something, then."

As Naruto was tearing the cupboards apart to pick out something he fancied eating, they heard a knock at the front door.

"That'll probably be him now," Iruka said, as Naruto grinned widely, slamming the cupboard doors, instantly forgetting about food. "Go into the living room and wait."

Naruto did as he was told, Iruka opening the front door and stepping aside to let the visitor- which was indeed Sasuke- inside

"Welcome back, Sasuke-san. Naruto's in the living room."

"Alright, thanks," Sasuke replied, kicking his shoes off, and making his way to the living room. He pushed open the door, calling a hello out to Naruto as he did so.

He stopped in his tracks as he noticed Naruto sitting at the piano stool, grinning like a madman. He clutched the doorframe for support, not quite able to believe his eyes.

"Where did you get this?" He asked softly, finally walking across the room, his eyes scanning the piano slowly.

"I bought it for you," Naruto said, standing up and offering the stool to Sasuke.

Sasuke sat down, dazed, looking up at Naruto. "For me?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Do you like it? They didn't have a white one, so-"

"Naruto," Sasuke interrupted. "It could be bright pink for all I care. You didn't have to do this."

"I _wanted_ to," Naruto replied earnestly. "I know how much playing means to you, and I know how badly you want to make sure the recital goes well."

"Yes, but…" Sasuke trailed off, running his hand across the smooth keys slowly. "I know how much I paid for my baby grand, so I _know_ how expensive this must have been."

Naruto shrugged. "I wanted to put my parent's inheritance to good use. This was worthy enough for me."

Sasuke closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I can't accept this, Naruto."

"Well, I've bought it now," Naruto said matter-of-factly. "So you can't deny it."

Sasuke didn't reply, still slowly shaking his head and causing Naruto to panic a bit as he covered his face with his hands.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked nervously.

Sasuke didn't reply, so Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder, eyes widening as he felt him trembling.

"Sasuke? Are you alright…?"

"Alright?" Sasuke replied, uncovering his face and looking up at Naruto with tear-filled eyes. "Of _course_ I'm alright, you moron."

"Then why are you crying?" Naruto asked, confused.

"You just made me very, very happy," Sasuke replied, standing up and grabbing Naruto in an embrace. Naruto put his arms round him back, confused at Sasuke's sudden out of character behaviour.

"It's nothing," he replied. Sasuke let him go, shaking his head.

"No," he replied. "It's not nothing. It's a wonderful gift. You've known me half a week, and I was such an asshole to you, and you _still­-_"

Naruto silenced him with a tender kiss.

"Shut up and play the damn thing," he told Sasuke when he pulled away.

Sasuke nodded, sitting back down and poising his fingers over the keys.

"I don't have any scores," he said after a moment. "They're all at home."

"I'm sure Kakashi will lend you some. Just play something from memory for now."

Sasuke thought for a moment, then smiled slightly.

"Would you like to hear the Moonlight Sonata again?"

Naruto sat down on the sofa, smiling back. "Of course I would."

-.-.-

_Author's Note: I'm planning an epilogue with Sasuke's recital- I just didn't think it would fit adding it to the end since I had five days to fill, and I figured you guys could use your imaginations for that ;)_

_About the price of the piano- 415,000 is roughly $3,500, which is £1,700 here in England. That's about how much I'd expect to pay for a decent one. Needless to say, I don't have one... :(  
_

_Thank you all for your reviews and comments! I really appreciate them- it makes me smile to see people are enjoying my work:) And to hth who reviewed last time and said Naruto should replace the piano- that part of this chapter was already written XD I guess I'm predictable:(  
_

_Anyway. Thanks again, everyone, and I'll round this up with the epilogue soon!_


	8. Epilogue

**Andante, Allegro, Al Fine!**

**Epilogue**

"Iruka."

"Kakashi-san."

Iruka stepped aside, letting the silver haired man enter his hallway, hastily closing the door to the rain outside. Kakashi was soaked, he noticed.

"Would you like a towel?"

Kakashi shook his head, sending some of the water droplets nestled within them flying. "I apologise if I'm dripping on your carpet, Iruka, but I have something important to do above all else. Sasuke's not awake yet, is he?"

"Ah… I don't think so. Today is his recital, isn't it?"

"Correct," Kakashi said. "Which way to his room?"

"He's probably in with Naruto," Iruka replied, pointing down the hall. "It's the last door at the end."

Kakashi took off down the hall, finding the correct door and throwing it open.

"Rise and shine!" He called happily, stalking across to the curtains and drawing them.

Two heads shot up from under the covers, looking… Guilty? Kakashi snickered to himself.

"Did I interrupt something?" He asked.

"N-no," Sasuke replied, his burning red cheeks suggesting otherwise.

Kakashi walked over to the bed, setting himself down on the edge of it.

"It's your recital today, Sasuke," he reminded the dark haired boy, who was tugging on the covers Kakashi was sitting on, in a vain effort to cover his naked chest.

"I _know_," Sasuke snapped, giving up on the covers and folding his arms across his chest instead. "But that's not until this evening."

"You think you're going to laze around in bed all day?" Kakashi asked.

"I didn't mean-"

"Listen," Kakashi said, grabbing Sasuke's arm and pulling him towards him, leaning over his ear so Naruto couldn't hear. "If you think you've got time to stay here getting _intimate_, you're mistaken. You've got _practice_ to do."

He stood up, letting Sasuke's arm go and walking to the door.

"You have one minute to get up, dressed, and to that piano."

He slammed the door closed behind him, leaving both Sasuke and Naruto to relax and lament the killing of the mood.

"You have a fun day ahead of you it seems," Naruto snickered.

"I had a much _better_ morning planned," Sasuke complained, sliding out of the bed and dressing quickly.

He opened the door, leaving Naruto to get dressed, heading sleepily to the living room where Kakashi was waiting. Iruka was with him, holding a glass of orange juice.

"What would you like for breakfast, Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke took the offered juice, nodding a thank you. "I'm alright."

"He doesn't have time to eat," Kakashi called, beckoning to Sasuke. "Get _over_ here."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked over to Kakashi, putting his drink down on the table next to the piano and sitting down.

"You know dragging me out of bed isn't the way of getting a good performance out of me," he chided his Sensei.

"You're not leaving the piano until you give me an acceptable performance," Kakashi replied. "If that means missing the recital, then so be- I want it to be perfect, and I'd rather you did nothing than you did it badly."

Sasuke opened his sheet music, shaking his head and trying to wake up a little. He began to play, interrupted by Kakashi only a few bars in.

"No. Start again."

Sasuke sighed, doing as instructed, only to have Kakashi stop him at the same.

"Again."

Sasuke glared at him, but started over again.

"_No_," Kakashi snapped as he reached the same point again. "What the hell is that supposed to be?"

"What am I doing wrong?!" Sasuke snapped back.

Kakashi put one hand on his forehead, sighing heavily.

"Tell me how Appassionata is supposed to be played at the beginning, Sasuke."

"Allegro assai," Sasuke answered easily, pointing to his sheet music.

"Exactly. _Very fast_ and _lively_. Why are you playing it slowly?"

"I'm not."

"_Why_ are you playing it _slowly_?" Kakashi repeated sharply.

"Probably because I just woke up and I'm half asleep?" Sasuke snapped back.

"Fine. You've got ten minutes to go have a shower or go get laid or whatever the hell it is you do to wake up, then be back here to give a _good_ performance." He ignored the scorching look Sasuke was sending his way. "No- an _excellent_ performance. Now, _go_."

Sasuke stood, still glaring, and made his way out of the room- past Iruka, who was standing in the doorway.

"Kakashi-san," Iruka said quietly. "Is-"

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Iruka," Kakashi said, his voice instantly softer as he interrupted Iruka and spun around to face the other man. "Its tough love, I'm afraid. He's been distracted by both Naruto and the date today, and his practices have suffered the last day or two for it. It _can't_ happen tonight- I tell him he'll disappoint me, but in reality, he'll disappoint himself."

"Date today?" Iruka asked, confused.

"He didn't tell you?" Kakashi asked, eyes widening. "Today is the anniversary of his parents' deaths."

Iruka's eyes widened, too, and he clapped a hand to his mouth. "Oh! I had no idea…"

"Sasuke's not the most… Talkative person," Kakashi supplied. "I'll be surprised if even Naruto knows."

"I know," came a voice from behind Iruka. Naruto stepped past him, looking sleepy, holding a glass of water.

"Good morning Naruto," Kakashi called, waving. "I presume Sasuke chose the shower instead to wake up?"

"Eh?" Naruto asked, confused. Kakashi shook his head, laughing slightly.

"Never mind."

-.-.-

Nine minutes later, Sasuke was back at the piano. Kakashi was tapping his watch expectantly.

"I'm one minute early," Sasuke snapped, sitting back down and certainly looking much brighter. His hair was wet, and he had a towel slung around his neck, catching the tiny droplets of water that dripped from his hair.

"Now, let's have Appassionata, not whatever the hell you were attempting earlier," Kakashi said, tapping the sheet music in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke started to play again, and Kakashi nodded. "Much better," he praised. "Keep that tempo. That's perfect."

Naruto was sitting on the sofa, eating some toast and watching the two intently. Sasuke hadn't had much of a chance to teach him anything over the past five days, since Kakashi had spent most of it practically chaining Sasuke to the piano to practice.

Not that he _minded_, because the time they did spend together was very well spent. _Very_ well spent.

"Stop," Kakashi said, holding a hand up. "You slowed it down again."

Sasuke sighed and gave him a scowl, but turned the page back to the beginning again to start over.

"Naruto," Kakashi said, looking over to the blond on the sofa.

"Mm?" Naruto mumbled through his toast.

"Can you make yourself scarce for a little? I need Sasuke's attention _solely_ on this practice."

Naruto shrugged and made his way out the room, not offended by what had been asked of him.

"I wasn't paying attention to him," Sasuke snapped at Kakashi, folding his arms.

"I didn't want to take the chance you were."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're overreacting."

"And you're not getting it _right_."

Sasuke snapped, slamming the lid on the piano down angrily. "I can't concentrate with you pressuring me like this."

He stood to leave, but Kakashi grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down.

"I said you weren't going anywhere until you've played me an acceptable piece," Kakashi warned him.

Sasuke glared at him, trying to yank his wrist free, but finding himself unable to. Kakashi kept his hand around it, clasping it tightly.

"Sit down."

Sasuke did so, rubbing his wrist as Kakashi let it go.

"Play that piece like you're playing it to your parents," Kakashi said quietly.

Sasuke's eyes widened as Kakashi pulled the lid back up, exposing the ivory keys once again. He positioned his fingers over the starting keys, feeling himself trembling as he did so. He stared down at his fingers, taking a deep breath, and blinking when he found his vision blurring.

He took a deep breath, unwilling to cry today, and certainly not in front of Kakashi. However, his emotions had other ideas, spurred by the mention of his parents on such a day. Tears splashed onto his fingers, and he closed his eyes tighter, letting his hands fall from the piano to his lap, giving up the fight against them.

"_Don't_ use that against me," he whispered, bringing his hands to his face and covering it, choking on a sob.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke didn't shake it off. "I didn't say it to upset you, or use it against you. I said it to _spur_ you."

Sasuke grabbed the lid of the piano, roughly slamming it down again. Kakashi, who had one hand on the keys, swiftly retracted his fingers just in time.

"Play for my parents you say?" He snapped bitterly. "The parents who 'will be so disappointed with your path', or the parents who 'would have stopped this nonsense a long time ago and enrolled you in college?'"

"I'm not your brother," Kakashi said sharply. "And I don't care what idiocy he's drilled into your head. You are a damn good pianist, Sasuke. The _only_ flaw you have is you lack passion, I've said this numerous times. The only times I've seen you play like you _mean_ it are when you first started, and recently around Naruto."

Sasuke brought a trembling hand to his eyes, drying tears that quickly became replaced with more. "That's the worst flaw I could have, right?"

Kakashi sighed. "It's what changes an excellent piece to an awful piece, yes. But I think you lack passion because, after a while, you stopped yourself feeling. You numbed yourself with alcohol and found solace in anger. It affected your playing, and it's taken Naruto to pull you back out of your lonely shell, Sasuke."

"Would you shut up?" Sasuke snapped, standing up to leave again and shaking Kakashi's hand away, tired of the turn the conversation had taken. Kakashi grabbed his wrist again warningly.

"You're either going to storm off and throw a tantrum somewhere, or you're going to go looking for alcohol. I _know_ you. I'm not letting you do either."

"A _tantrum_?" Sasuke replied incredulously. "That's what you think this is?"

Kakashi sighed heavily. "No. I think it's a year's worth of pent up emotion _finally_ getting through your protective barriers. Regardless, if you're going to have a breakdown on _today_ of all days, you're going to do it in my presence so I can try to _fix_ you and have you on form for tonight."

"Tonight, tonight, tonight," Sasuke snapped, narrowing his reddened, tear-filled eyes and sinking back onto the piano stool. He folded his arms across the closed piano lid, looking away from Kakashi. "Is that _all_ you care about? And what's this 'fix me' bullshit? Unless you can bring them back, you can't _fix_ anything."

"Sasuke," Kakashi said evenly. "The only thing I care about is _you_. You'll hate yourself if you screw tonight up, and I _know_ that, which is why I push you to be the best you can. So _you_ can be happier with yourself. Right now, you could tell me 'I'm not doing it' and _mean _it, and I'd cancel it in an instant if that would make you happy. But it _wouldn't_, would it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't reply, sinking his head into his folded arms.

"Would it?" Kakashi repeated, shaking his shoulder.

The only response he got was muffed, badly-concealed sobbing.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi sighed, keeping his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You know what? Crying on the piano isn't going to bring them back. Trust me- I understand how it feels to want someone back, and to miss them so badly it _hurts_… But it doesn't make things any different in the end."

Sasuke looked up at him sharply, eyes narrowed in shock.

"I lost my best friend about five years ago," Kakashi explained. "He was a pianist, too. And for a while, I did the same as you. Getting drunk, acting up, and generally being a pain in the ass to everyone around me."

Sasuke had the grace to look slightly shamed at that, smiling weakly.

"But then I took it as another one of life's experiences, and channeled all the emotion I felt when I thought about him into my playing, and realized it _helped_. Every piece I play, I play it for him. I play it in his memory."

He squeezed Sasuke's shoulder gently.

"Take five minutes now to get those tears out of your system, then go and wash your face, get something to eat, and come back ready to give a performance you and _they _can be proud of."

He grabbed Sasuke in a quick hug, sighing as he felt him tremble against him.

"Tonight will be fine. Trust me. You have the skill, and you're talented. We just need to drum some emotion in to you, but after this little display, you've proved you're at least _capable_ of it."

Sasuke pulled away, smacking Kakashi's arm weakly.

"I'm not the emotionless, alcoholic moron you seem to think I am," he said quietly, his voice laced with bitterness.

"Oh? You could have fooled me," Kakashi replied, ignoring the undertones in his pupil's words. "Now, go on, go freshen up- you look wrecked."

Sasuke smiled weakly, attempting to dry his eyes. "And whose fault is that?"

Kakashi feigned innocence. "Gai said the same words to me and it made me work my ass off, not cry! Now, go on, get yourself sorted and let's iron out these little problems, shall we?"

-.-.-

Naruto was sitting in the kitchen with Iruka when Sasuke opened the door slowly and stepped inside the room. Naruto looked up at him and narrowed his eyes in concern when he noted the tears in his eyes, but Sasuke held a hand up to silence him.

"I'm fine," he said definitely, and Naruto took the hint and closed his mouth. "It's not a good day, is it?"

It was a rhetorical statement. Naruto realized that, and didn't give him an answer. He understood.

"How's the practice coming along?" Iruka asked, attempting to dispel the heavy atmosphere in the room.

"Not too well," Sasuke admitted. "Kakashi sent me away to get something to eat, but I'm not hungry."

"That'll be nerves," Iruka said with a nod. "You need to eat anyway, Sasuke-san, else you'll just feel sick. And I'm sure you don't want that, do you?"

Sasuke seated himself at the table with a sigh, shaking his head. "No."

"I'll fix you a slice of toast," Iruka told him, standing.

Naruto stood with him as Iruka made his way to the toaster, giving Sasuke a moment to himself.

"Iruka?" Naruto said quietly as the elder man put a slice of bread in the toaster.

"Yes?" Iruka asked, turning to him.

Naruto smiled softly at him. "Did I tell you I love you recently?"

Iruka stared at Naruto, eyes widening. He hadn't been expecting _that_.

"No," he said, returning the smile. "No, you didn't."

"Well, I do," Naruto replied, grabbing him in a hug. "You're a great Dad."

Iruka closed his eyes to the happy tears that filled them, his arms tightening around Naruto's back. Naruto had always called him Iruka-Dad, feeling the title of 'Dad' should be solely reserved for his birth parent. Apparently, he'd chosen today to change his mind.

"What, no Iruka-Dad?" He replied, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Well, you're Iruka-Dad, too," Naruto explained. "But you're Dad, too. You're both. You're _doubly_ special."

"What's brought this on, hmm?" Iruka asked, realizing Naruto wasn't letting go of him. He didn't attempt to release the hug, feeling Naruto tense under his grip.

"I don't remember my parents," Naruto said so quietly Iruka almost missed it. "But I do remember_ you_. I remember my parents on the anniversary, because they're my parents, you know? But when I think back to my childhood, I think of you. I remember you being the one to take me out to the park, or send me to my room when I was a pain. You deserve the title of Dad."

Naruto finally pulled away from Iruka, giving him a big grin. Iruka mock-frowned at him, drying the tears from his eyes.

"And you made me cry," he noted. "You're such a brat. You did that on purpose."

Naruto laughed slightly. "Sorry. I just… Felt like I needed to say it."

He didn't need to continue the sentence. 'Because you might end up like Sasuke's parents and my real parents, and be gone tomorrow and I'll have never have said it.'

"Well, I appreciate the sentiment," Iruka said, smiling. He stopped though, eyes widening as he turned to the toaster and jammed the 'stop' button. A slice of burnt toast popped up, looking rather sorry for itself.

"Sasuke-san, I'm sorry," Iruka called, grabbing the toast with his forefingers and half-flicking it out onto the side. "I burnt the toast. I'll need to do another-"

He stopped as he turned around and noticed Sasuke was no longer in the room. He sighed slightly, leaning on the worktop behind him.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Naruto said, picking up the slice of burnt toast. "He just needs to get his head clear so he can concentrate tonight."

He bit into the toast, much to Iruka's horror.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled, snatching the blackened slice from Naruto's hand. "If you're still hungry, put another slice in! Don't eat the burnt one, it's not good for you!"

"See, that's what I mean about you being a Dad," Naruto said with a sigh, watching Iruka throw the toast in the bin. "You bitch about what's 'good for me' as much as one!"

-.-.-

Sasuke had chosen to leave when Naruto's voice had dropped to a whisper, indicating a private discussion. He'd heard the first words Naruto had said, and smiled softly to himself, feeling inspired to do exactly what Kakashi had asked.

"You're back fast," Kakashi observed as he sat down at the piano again.

"I'm not hungry," Sasuke half-lied, opening the lid on the piano again. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, giving him a nod that indicated he should start.

And he did. Kakashi's eyes widened as he got the tempo correct, and the _passion_! The passion he'd tried so hard to drum into Sasuke's head was right there, flitting through the piece as he played it and making it sound a thousand times better then Sasuke had ever achieved before.

He smiled to himself. Sasuke was going to astonish both the audience and himself that night.

-.-.-

"Eh, Sasuke," Kakashi called, his tone amused, from his position by the red, velvet curtain. "Have you seen the crowd out there?"

Sasuke, who was sitting with his back to the wall and trying not to hyperventilate a few feet away, had the decency to throw him an evil glare.

Naruto was sitting with him, eyes narrowed in both concern and mild amusement. The calm and collected Sasuke he usually knew had been replaced with the nervous wreck before him.

He had said he felt fine all day when asked, but he hadn't eaten anything, and by the time they arrived at the auditorium in Kakashi's car, he had admitted to feeling sick. Kakashi had taken the moment to berate him for not eating, and had sent Naruto to go and buy water.

They had been led backstage by staff, where they'd stayed. Kakashi hadn't allowed Sasuke to go to the bar like he wanted, Sasuke had yelled at him, and gone to have a panic attack in the corner. Only Naruto was allowed near him, and he too had been banished when he'd tried to reason with him about the alcohol.

Eventually, he'd moved from the corner and allowed Naruto to sit with him again, and had taken to glaring at Kakashi. Kakashi had taken to teasing him about everything he could.

Naruto found the whole charade very, very endearing.

He sympathized with Sasuke, but couldn't help laughing when Kakashi tried to comment on the nervousness of his boyfriend from his 'safe' spot by the curtain and Sasuke threw the half-empty water bottle he'd been holding at him.

Kakashi caught it deftly, sighing and walking over to Sasuke, handing it back to him. Sasuke snatched it, scowling.

"_Relax_," Kakashi stressed.

"Get me something to drink then," Sasuke snapped, running a shaking hand through his hair.

"You have water," Kakashi pointed out.

"You know what I mean!"

"Sasuke," Kakashi said evenly, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke shook it off, giving him another evil glare. "I really don't think alcohol is such a smart idea."

"I think you don't know what you're talking about."

"I think I do, and you're just being difficult."

"I think-"

"I think you _both_ need to shut up," Naruto interjected. "_I_ need a drink watching you two. You've been like this since we arrived an hour ago!"

He stood, giving them both a glare before leaving. Truth be told, the atmosphere was so thick that he could barely breathe, and he _needed_ to get out of there for a while.

A drink didn't seem like such a bad idea now he was out of there, so he made his way to the bar, frowning as he noticed how crowded it was. A few people glanced his way, recognizing that he had arrived with Sasuke, but saying nothing to him.

He ordered a Malibu and coke- of course- and found an empty two seat table in the corner, sitting down and sighing slightly. Sasuke would actually, positively kill him if he knew Naruto was drinking alcohol and hadn't taken anything for Sasuke.

He smiled at that, taking a sip of the drink.

"May I join you?"

Naruto's eyes widened at that voice, and he slowly looked up, unable to believe what he had heard and needing to confirm it with sight.

"_Itachi_?" He asked incredulously.

Itachi stayed standing, indicating to the empty seat in front of Naruto.

"May I join you?" He asked again.

"Oh, right," Naruto stuttered. "Sure."

Itachi seated himself, placing his drink on the table.

"I'll get to the point," Itachi began. "I'm sorry for what I said before, and how I treated both you and Sasuke."

Naruto nodded, keeping his face neutral.

"It wasn't very…" He stopped, seemingly struggling for the right word. "Brotherly to Sasuke."

"He said you always hated him playing," Naruto said quietly. "Why are you here tonight?"

"To make amends," Itachi supplied, taking a sip of his drink.

"I don't think you can fix this with a simple 'I'm sorry'."

"I know that. But he's my little brother. I'm not happy with his choices-" He glanced over at Naruto. "But he's my brother, and our parents would hate to see us like this. They were always adamant that we should play nicely together, and that we should get along."

"You know he's made something of himself, don't you?" Naruto told him firmly. "He doesn't need to go to college or any of that bullshit you spouted to him. He's _Hatake Kakashi's pupil_. That's an amazing thing to be, and _look_ at all the people here tonight to watch him play!"

Itachi looked slightly embarrassed. "I… Had no idea he was so popular."

"Well, maybe if you'd have spent time talking to him about his hobby rather than dismissing it, you might have learnt," Naruto said curtly.

Itachi raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you telling me off, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto gave him a nervous smile. "Yes…?"

Itachi sighed, shaking his head slightly. "_You're_ the 'new boyfriend'. I'm supposed to be telling _you_ off, aren't I?"

Naruto picked up his glass, swirling the contents around slowly. "You… How do you feel about that?" He asked slowly.

Itachi sighed. "I know it may not seem like it, but I'm not the raging homophobe I came across as. I was just… Angry."

"I saw," Naruto said shortly, remembering back to the destroyed piano.

"I'll replace the piano," Itachi said, as if reading his thoughts.

"I already did," Naruto informed him.

"You did?"

Itachi seemed surprised. Naruto smirked slightly behind his drink.

"I'll pay you back, then," Itachi replied after a moment.

Naruto shook his head. "Look, I did it because I happen to like that little brother of yours a lot. I don't need repaying. The _only_ thing I want is for you to support him in being a pianist, and to at least put up with me and him."

Itachi smiled slightly. "You seem to be taking better care of him than I did. I made a horrible replacement parent."

He looked sad, and Naruto felt bad for him- he hadn't thought about it that way.

"All the responsibility fell on you, didn't it?" He said softly. "To look after him."

"Sasuke wouldn't admit it," Itachi replied. "He was eighteen- he said he didn't need 'looking after'. But he did. Our parents' deaths destroyed him- he was such a mother's boy."

Naruto would have laughed at that in any other context.

"How did they die?" He asked gently. "Sasuke didn't mention it."

Itachi's eyes flickered with something unreadable before he picked up his drink, gripping it so tightly Naruto was worried the glass might break.

He was about to tell the elder man not to worry about it, and that he was sorry he asked, but he answered.

"A fire."

"Fire?" Naruto asked, eyes widening.

"Sasuke was… Well, I don't know where he was, no-one of us ever did. I was at work. We don't know how it started. I suspect it was arson, but I could never prove it. Our parents were… Successful. People don't like success. They get jealous."

Naruto didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent.

"They had a second house out of the city, which is where we live now. The first one was… Well, obviously it was unlivable, and neither of us would have wanted to live there anyway."

Naruto nodded in agreement, still shocked into silence.

"Our parents were extremely intelligent people. I wanted Sasuke to follow that path, too, and thought he was wasting his time with music."

Naruto nodded slightly. He was beginning to understand the man in front of him, and why he had acted how he did.

"Aren't you supposed to be with Sasuke giving him support?" Itachi pointed out.

Naruto frowned. "I had to get away for a bit, he's driving me crazy. He's nervous, and Kakashi keeps riling him about it."

Itachi smiled softly. "Don't tell him I'm here, will you?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly, but found himself unable to disagree. He finished his drink, standing up and indicating to the exit.

"I should get back to him," he said. "It's been nice talking with you."

"Yes," Itachi nodded. "It's been nice, Naruto-kun."

-.-.-

"Where have you been?!" Sasuke demanded of him the moment Naruto came into view again. He had apparently been watching the small door, waiting for him to come back. "I can't believe you-"

He stopped, narrowing his eyes.

"I smell cigarettes," he said accusingly. "And alcohol. Have you been at the bar?"

Naruto gave him a small, nervous smile.

"You traitor!" Sasuke yelled, pointing a finger at him.

Naruto stifled a laugh and walked across to Sasuke, kneeling down on the floor and giving him a soft kiss. Sasuke pulled away, giving him a scowl.

"Malibu," he said, sounding mildly disgusted. "You taste like Malibu. You _are_ a traitor."

"Kissing me is the closest to alcohol you're getting tonight," Naruto told him, his voice laced with suggestion.

Sasuke shook his head. "I hate coconut. I'm not kissing you."

Naruto scowled at him. "Well aren't _you_ romantic."

"I hate to bring this up, but you're due on stage in five minutes, Sasuke," Kakashi said from the curtain. "You need to straighten yourself out a bit- you've crinkled that suit sitting on the floor."

Sasuke stood slowly, brushing himself down and glaring at Kakashi's back.

"I'm going to go get my seat," Naruto told him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Knock 'em out."

Sasuke sighed shakily, running a hand through his hair and giving Naruto a very small smile.

"I'll try."

-.-.-

Naruto found Iruka and his seat in the front row just as the curtains rose on stage, sinking into the comfortable velvet with a sigh.

"How's he doing?" Iruka asked in a whisper.

"He's nervous," Naruto stated. "But I think he'll be alright."

The crowd clapped as Kakashi walked out to center stage, taking hold of the microphone set up.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" He said, the clapping dying down so he could be heard. "Thank you for coming."

He indicated to the side of the stage. "My prodigy pupil, Uchiha Sasuke, will be playing for you tonight. This is his first performance, so he's a little nervous- please be nice to him, and welcome him to the stage."

The audience clapped again, and Sasuke came out from the sidelines. A few people in the audience cheered, and the clapping elevated. Sasuke turned to them and gave them a small wave before heading to the grand piano behind Kakashi.

The clapping and cheering died down, and Kakashi exited the stage, calling a 'good luck' over his shoulder to Sasuke. Sasuke nodded, opening the lid of the piano with shaking fingers and looking up at the sheet music. Appassionata first, it seemed.

"Good luck Sasuke!" Someone from the audience yelled, and he looked up, swallowing slightly when he noticed just _how_ full the auditorium was. He scanned the front row, looking for Naruto, searching for his kind eyes and reassuring smile.

He locked up with his brother, and he almost fell off the stool in surprise.

"Sasuke," Itachi called loudly, smiling slightly. "Do me proud."

Sasuke stared at him, unable to formulate a reply. He smiled back, feeling happy tears prick his eyes, and he blinked them back. Now was _not_ the time to get sentimental about his brother's acceptance.

Instead, he placed his hands over the keys and began to play, closing his eyes for the first few bars. He'd played them so many times that day he could remember them- memory was usually his weakest trait, and had caused him to fail his graded exams a couple of times to begin with. But he had no problems remembering the first bars of this piece now.

He thought about his parents, imagining they were in the audience with his brother, listening to him play. He thought about his brother finally coming to see him play, and with it accepting who he had chosen to become. He thought about Kakashi, who he knew was standing in the wings, listening to him.

And he thought of Naruto, who he couldn't describe in words alone. Instead, he did what Kakashi had suggested- translated how he felt into his playing. He combined his feelings about all of those people, and let his fingers do the talking. The piano was his voice, and he was happy with that.

-.-.-

In the wings, Kakashi leant against the wall, dropping the curtain as he did so and closing his eyes. He fought with himself for a moment, feeling tears in his eyes at the raw _emotion_ he was hearing in that piece, but gave up, smiling happily as a lone tear snaked down his cheek. He pulled his mask aside for a moment to dry it, making a mental note to _not_ tell Sasuke he'd been moved to tears by his performance. He'd never live it down.

His pupil was giving the audience performance of his life, and he couldn't be prouder of him.

-.-.-

_Author's Note: It's done! I finally got it done! The epilogue turned out a lot longer than I expected, though. Whoops._

_Reviews and comments are welcome, and make me smile :) Direct flames to the closest wall as it'll listen as much as I will. All in all- THANK YOU for reading, and I hope I entertained you!_

_I need new ideas for short and sweet SasuNaru fics, so I'll say if this manages 100 reviews somehow, the 100__th__ reviewer can chose an idea for me ;D_

_I'm going to be posting the first chapter to my new SasuNaru fic soon- I haven't titled it yet, but otherwise it's almost ready to go. If you're interested, please watch my profile or author alert me :D_

_Thanks again, everyone!_


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